


A Better (and messier) Love Story Than Twilight

by cordeliasept, isleofdreams



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Reality, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Cat/Human Hybrids, Character Death, Cliche, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Derealization, Gen, Gore, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, Hybrids, Knives, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Platonic Kissing, Please don’t take this seriously, Profanity, Starbucks, Triggers, Twilight Zone inspired, Vampires, Wattpad Cliches, Werewolves, Yandere, crackfic, literally a meme, no beta we die like men, rich kids, self-awareness, shitpost
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:33:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 34,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25130095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliasept/pseuds/cordeliasept, https://archiveofourown.org/users/isleofdreams/pseuds/isleofdreams
Summary: At 3AM, he gets a call."Sapnap, what the hell!? Why are you calling me?""Your parents just died, but don't worry you'll get to live with your favorite artist because they adopted you!""...What!?"AKA, Dream gets thrown into a fanfiction-cliche universe, and he needs to get back home.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Darryl Noveschosch, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 405
Kudos: 625





	1. the prologue ig

**Author's Note:**

> heyo! its cordelia here, writing the first chapter. ironically, this is being posted on ao3 when its all about wattpad cliches...but maybe we'll cross-post it? idk
> 
> this fic is also being written by @isleofdreams , please check out her works they're absolutely amazing and fantastic! and while im here too ig i can advertise to check out my individual works as well :)
> 
> rated teen for cursing, some blood, and maybe other things in the future idk
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Their personalities here are based off of their personalities in their Youtube videos. Please understand that this is a shitpost, and note that there is no actual reciprocation of romantic interests here—I want to respect Dream's sexuality so everything here is not to push onto his sexuality. If any of the Youtubers explicitly state they are uncomfortable with this fic/these types of fics, I'll take this down immediately.

"Finally, I'm done," Dream sighed to himself as he finally closed the editing software he had been staring at for hours. As much as he loved his friends, hearing them say the same lines over and over again got tedious sometimes. As he turned off his computer and stretched his legs, he reflected on the past video—they had done a rematch of the three hunters manhunt, and he had finally won. He already had new content ideas working in his mind, but it was nearly 12 A.M and he was aiming to fix his sleep schedule.

He remember chatting with Technoblade earlier, thinking of a collab, and Technoblade had paused him halfway through his video ideas. _"Slow down man."_

_"But I can't," Dream protested. "I really, really, want to do all of these things—Minecraft Championship just isn't enough."_

_"Don't you ever get tired of your passions sometimes? Like you need some change? I get you love making content for your fans and keeping up your channel, but I'm just saying..." Technoblade waved his hands around in the face cam, face turned downwards in a frown. "Your online life is thriving. But what about your physical life?"_

_"I don't go outside much," Dream replied bluntly. "And I like sticking with my online life."_

_"What if that life turns on you? You gotta get out there." Technoblade replied to him. "At least, get some self-care. You look like a zombie."_

He brushed his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror. A light dash of freckles splashed across his cheeks, and his blond hair fell in his face, ruffled and messy. He still had on his green hoodie and pajamas, which he typically slept in, and dark circles hung under his eyes. Technoblade might have been right about the self-care part, but for going outside? He was fine. He didn't need it.

He climbed into bed, relaying his plans for the next day. Go meet up with Sapnap—his best friend had really surprised him with a plane ticket—and show him around Florida, maybe play Minecraft later in the night, or do a surprise stream for Sapnap to reveal him at Dream's apartment. He was satisfied; he didn't need to listen to Technoblade. They were going to do a collab later anyways.

He closed his eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber.

_______

His phone buzzed angrily on his nightstand, rattling the lamp next to it. Dream rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, fumbling around in the darkness until his hand landed on the device. He lifted the vibrating object, turning it on, to see that the time was 3:41AM, and he was getting a call from Sapnap. It was pitch-black in his room, save for the very thin amount of moonlight streaming through his window, and his cat was asleep next to the bed, a soft purr escaping her. He begrudgingly picked up the phone call, rolling his eyes.

"Sapnap, what the hell!? Why are you calling me?" Dream half-whispered, half-shouted into the mic as he tried to not wake his cat.

"Your parents just died, but don't worry you'll get to live with your favorite artist because they adopted you!" Sapnap replied, too unnaturally cheerful. 

"...What!?" Dream's eyes widened before narrowing. "Don't play jokes with me, Sapnap."

"I'm not joking!" Sapnap seemed to be holding back a laugh, before his voice became very solemn. "Yeah, your parents are dead, RIP amirite?"

" _WHAT!?_ " Dream nearly hung up at Sapnap at that point. "What is wrong with you!?"

"Nothing's wrong with me! Anyways, do you wanna play Minecraft tomorrow when I get to your house?" Sapnap asked excitedly.

"No, what!? You can't just tell me my parents died and then ask to play Minecraft!" Dream, now fully awake, felt himself tearing up at the possibility that his mom and dad would be dead, and so suddenly. "How did they even die?"

"It doesn't matter, you'll get over it soon." Dream could see Sapnap's smile through his voice, and he wanted to hurl. "By the way, Bad is a vampire, and George is a werewolf."

"...WHAT!?" Dream didn't care that he had repeated the same word three times—he was utterly confused. "You're actually joking. Stop playing around, this isn't funny."

"It's not a joke! Sooner or later, they'll both be coming to your apartment anyways, and you'll get to see for yourself." Sapnap tsked, shrugging. "Also, Harry Styles was the one who adopted you, he's going to your apartment tomorrow."

"HOW THE FUCK DOES HE KNOW MY ADDRESS!?" Dream shouted, waking Patches up in his fervor. The cat growled at him, and Dream quickly shushed her, patting her in an apology. "You better hurry and come here right now to explain everything." He then hung up, rolling his eyes, and slammed his phone back onto the nightstand.

"Gods, this better be some sort of a fever dream," he murmured before closing his eyes, cuddling his cat as he fell asleep again.

_______

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the faint sound of sizzling. In his haphazard position on the bed, his cat had slunk away back to her personal bed, and his sheets were tangled—he had never been an active sleeper, so to see that was definitely strange. Rising from the mattress, he checked his phone, scrolling through his call history. Sure enough, the Sapnap call at 3AM was there. It hadn't been a fever dream.

"If that wasn't a dream, then..." His eyes widened, and he quickly scrolled to dial his parents' numbers, hand slightly shaking as he prayed for them to answer. No response the first time, automatically going to their voicemails. He tried again. And again. And again.

On the fifth call to his mother, the phone finally picked up. A flicker of hope sparked in his heart, but it was soon crushed as soon as he heard that the voice was different.

"This is the police, how can I help you?" The voice remained neutral, and Dream's heart sunk.

"Is—Are my parents alive?" Dream asked carefully, worried and scared.

"No, but don't worry, you'll get over it," the policeman replied from over the phone, casual and blunt. Dream nearly dropped his phone, but he continued to hold it, going silent for a moment before hanging up. _What the hell's wrong with these policemen!? How did my parents..._

The worst part? He could barely feel anything about it, just like Sapnap had said. He tried his best to procure tears, to feel grief, but there was nothing. He felt apathetic more than anything, as if he merely moved on and was ready to continue living without his parents. It just wasn't right.

The sizzling sound was still faintly coming through the door, and Dream rose from the bed, pocketing his phone and scratching his head. He felt as if he should be more alert, especially since he had no idea where the sound was coming from or what caused it, but he continued to drag himself out his bedroom and walk down the tiny hallway into the kitchen. What he saw in there was already enough to jolt him awake.

Sitting on the counter was Sapnap, legs crossed and tongue sticking out as he typed frantically on his phone. His blue-brown orbs darted from the screen to Dream, a smile breaking out on his face as he waved. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't the weirdest thing in the room.

The most shocking thing to Dream was the other presence in the room, cooking eggs casually and turning to Dream. He smiled as his glasses glinted in the kitchen light, hood over his head covering his mop of light brown hair. His eyes were blood-red, unlike the green Dream normally saw, and his teeth bared two shiny canine fangs, the tips slightly pink as if they were stained with blood.

"BAD!?" Dream gaped at his friend, jaw dropping.

"Oh hey Dream! I missed you so much!" Bad's grin didn't fade, the fangs glinting in the kitchen light. "Are you worried about me? Don't worry; I won't burn as long as I'm not in the range of direct sunlight."

"Sorry for the sudden rush. Bad got me here extra early with his super speed." Sapnap smiled. "It seems like you got over your parents already. Harry Styles revoked the adoption privileges on you, so you're an orphan now, sorry about that. And George is coming later." He shrugged, seemingly casual to everything despite the plethora of information he had thrown out at Dream in the past six hours.

Dream glanced at Sapnap, then at Bad, trying to process everything.

"What. The. _Fuck!?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments appreciated as always!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayy its me isleofdreams!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: this chapter contains mentions of blood, and impaling?? like the fangs and stuff, but nothing too gorey. however, if you're uncomfortable with it, do feel free to skip some parts of this chapters (its near the end, starting from when dream offers his wrist)
> 
> i wrote this when i was in a half high trance, so good luck and i hope you enjoy it

“Can one of you tell me what the hell is going on?” Dream asks, his fingers rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe his headache. Despite waking up just a few minutes ago, he feels like falling back asleep again. He opts to sit at a nearby chair instead, his head full of thoughts and questions.

“What do you mean? We told you everything we know, dude,” Sapnap chuckles, thanking Bad as he serves breakfast. Bad hums as he returns to the kitchen, careful to not step into the sunlight that shone through the window. He pulls the curtains close, letting out a noise of satisfaction as darkness washed over him. He turns on the lights to the kitchen instead.

Dream groans internally. The electricity bills are going to be high if Bad continues to do that.

“No, like, about my parents dying? And Bad being a vampire? And who- Harry Styles? Adopting me? What the fuck?”

“Dream, my buddy, my pal, you’re asking the same questions over and over again, gosh. Your parents died in a car crash,” Sapnap mumbles, biting into his scrambled eggs. “Bad, these are so good. How are you not a chef?”

“Garlic.”

_Right. Vampires hate garlic._

_Then again, what the fuck?_

“So, let me get this straight,” Dream clears his throat. “My parents died in a car crash, somehow Harry fucking Styles adopted me, decided ‘ay screw that kid who wants him’, disowned me, and you guys are here because Bad is Sonic, apparently.”

“Well, he’s more of a Dracula than a Sonic, but yeah. You’re getting it, dude!” Sapnap cheers, and Bad grins. Dream looks away. He still can’t bear to look at Bad’s fangs, nor can he look into Bad’s bloodshot eyes.

“And you’re here because?”

“Muffin squad meetup, duh!” Bad chirps in, and Sapnap reaches across the table to give him a high five. Dream’s head is spinning, and he feels nauseous. His stomach churns.

“Give- give me a moment.”

He excuses himself, barely making it to the bathroom before the contents of last night’s dinner empty out into the toilet. He gags, and wipes the string of saliva from his mouth, grimacing at how disgusting it is. Flushing the toilet, he washes his hands at the sink, glancing up to look at himself in the mirror.

God he looks awful.

His hair sticks up at the wrong places, and his face is deathly pale. Somehow, darker circles reside under Dream’s eyes, and blotches of pink splatter onto his cheek, showing off his freckles further. Licking his cracked lips, he splashes some water onto his face.

_Please let this be a dream._

Taking a deep breath, he slides down the walls of the bathroom, trying to calm himself down. His hands are shaking beyond control, and he buries his head into his hands instead. Tears are forcing their way out of his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. He wraps his arms around himself in an attempt to make himself feel better.

“Dream?” Sapnap’s voice echoes through the door, and Dream bites down on his lip. “Dream, you good?”

Dream doesn’t want to open the door, but he feels bad as Sapnap asks about Dream, so he makes himself stand. Using the walls as a support, he finally reaches the door and unlocks it.

“Oh, no,” Sapnap coos, and arms wrap around Dream as Sapnap gives him a hug.

Dream melts into the hug, and relaxes. Sapnap is rubbing circles on his back, which frankly, feels good. Sapnap is whispering sweet nothings into his ear, and Dream tries to follow Sapnap’s breathing, _in, out, in, out_. The anxiety fades away, leaving Dream tired from all the panicking that he has gone through. He closes his eyes, and buries his nose into Sapnap’s hoodie (since when does Sapnap smell like vanilla and the sea? He doesn’t even live near a coastal area).

“Go to sleep, it’s alright. I’m here.” 

Dream lets sleep take over him.

*  
He wakes up to someone shaking him gently, and he groans, swinging his arms to smack said person away. He comes into contact with someone, and a loud yelp confirms that he has indeed landed his hit. Pulling the blanket over his head, he curls up on himself, only for said person to pull the warm cover off of him.

“Wakey wakey!”

“Fuck off,” Dream groans, irritated, but the hands on his right arm is still clinging onto him. He ignores the tugging, and tries to chase back what remaining sleep he had left. 

“Dream, we’re supposed to be getting Starbucks! Do you not want Starbucks?”

“Nice try, Bad. Now, fuck off.”

“Language!” Bad exclaims, and despite Bad being one of his close friends, he can’t help but feel frustrated at him, to the point where he feels genuine anger. Since when does his friends not respect his decisions? He just wants to sleep. 

He doesn’t even like coffee.

Annoyed that the last traces of fatigue are gone, Dream reluctantly sits up, rubbing at his eyes as his vision slowly comes into focus. Bad cheers beside him at his success of getting Dream up.

“Let’s go!”

The fog in Dream’s head has barely left when he is forcefully pulled off his bed, his right hand firmly held in Bad’s as they exit his room. Sapnap is scrolling through his phone, and looks up as the duo enters his view.

“Sap, he’s awake, let’s go!” Bad squeals, and Dream feels his soul wither away as Sapnap returns with a more enthusiastic ‘yay!’.

He did not sign up for this.

They exit his apartment, Bad pulling his hood up despite walking under the shade. A white Mercedes with black tinted windows stops beside them, and Sapnap grins as he reaches out for the door.

“Sap, this isn’t even your car-”

“Good afternoon sir,” The chauffeur greets Sapnap, and Dream’s jaws almost drop to the floor, staring at Sapnap in shock. Bad is already in the car, while Sapnap is looking at him, one of his eyebrows raised in question.

“Why are you so shocked? I’m the son of a CEO, dude.”

_“What?”_

“Dream, are you coming or no?” Bad asks, getting a little impatient. Dream stumbles into the car, still speechless from what he had just witnessed.

“Where would you like to go, sir?”

“Nearest Starbucks,” Sapnap orders, and the driver obliges, turning right to enter the traffic flow. “Dream, why are you looking at me like that?”

“You- your dad is _not_ a CEO,” Dream chokes out, but Sapnap only chuckles.

“C’mon, Dream, don’t do me dirty like that.” 

From the corner of his eyes, Dream sees Bad giving him a frown, and he wants to snap at the both of them for being so ridiculous. Squirming around the seat, he tries to minimise the contact between himself and the polished, brown leather seat that he’s sure is more expensive than his entire life. He feels the car slow down to a stop.

“We’re here,” Sapnap announces, and Bad is already out of the car, his smile wide upon seeing the large Starbucks logo. Dream stutters out a ‘thanks’ to the chauffeur, barely managing to catch himself as he trips upon getting out. 

Sapnap pushes the door open, the little bell at the door ringing to announce their presence. The trio decides to sit at the booth nearest to the jukebox, and Dream hears a Taylor Swift song play in the background. The shop isn’t occupied by many, apart from a handful of students as well as a few working adults. Sapnap remains standing.

“What do you guys want?”

“I want a pumpkin spice latte!” Bad chirps. Sapnap turns his attention towards Dream.

“I don’t-”

“Okay, so three pumpkin spice latte, gotcha.” Interrupting Dream, he turns around and strides to the counter, leaving Dream baffled at his seat. Bad is on his phone, seemingly distracted by the words on his screen. Huffing in annoyance, Dream opts to look at the table instead, playing with his fingers. 

A shadow looms over them, and Dream looks up, expecting Sapnap. What he sees, however, is a man, his brown hair laced with pink highlights, brown eyes glimmering as a crooked smile rests on his face. A small scar is slashed across his nose bridge, but it doesn’t faze Dream at all. 

“And who are you?”

“Techno, but you can call me yours, baby,” he winks, and Dream almost pukes right there and then. Bad glances up from his phone, confused. 

“Uh, I-”

“Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?” 

“No, so please leave me al-”

“Who the hell is this guy?” A familiar voice cuts through the awkward atmosphere, and Techno turns around, revealing Sapnap balancing three cups of coffee in his hands, glaring at Techno. Smirking, Techno slips a piece of paper to Dream, winking as he mouths ‘call me’ before turning around and leaving. 

“Uh, Sap?”

“We’re leaving,” Sapnap growls, and Dream feels almost scared. He has never seen Sapnap this mad over something so miniscule. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Holding his cup of coffee, he follows Sapnap and Bad out of the store, the small slip of paper still between his fingers. Upon leaving, he accidentally makes eye contact with Techno.

He runs out immediately afterwards when Techno winks at him again.

*  
Night rolls around, and if Dream thinks that his day has reached its worst in the afternoon, he is going to be proven wrong soon.

After greeting both Bad and Sapnap goodnight, he retreats back to his room while the duo settles in the guest room, where he has laid down an extra sleeping bag just in case they were too uncomfortable to share a single bed. After a heated debate that lasted for an entire minute, Bad was forced to surrender and sleep in the sleeping bag as Sapnap celebrated his victory.

Dream shuts his door behind him, and collapses onto his bed as reality (reality? He’s not even sure anymore) crashes on him, forcing his mind to replay the entire day. His parents dead, Sapnap and Bad appearing in his house, Bad as a vampire, them going to Starbucks, and Techno-

_Techno._

_What the fuck. Who names themselves ‘Techno’ anyway?_

Then again, he is reminded that he’s called Dream, so he doesn’t have much room to talk.

He rubs his eyes, and sighs. He still doesn’t know how his parents died, but the police refused to give him any further details despite claiming that he’s their son. _This doesn’t make any sense. Nothing makes sense._ Looking up at the ceiling, the weight of the news sinks in, and it's as if thorn-filled vines are wrapping around his heart. He lets out a sob.

His parents are gone. Dream is never going to see them again, nor is he going to be able to hug them, or piss them off. He’s never going to taste mum’s homecooked food, nor is he going to groan at his dad’s stupid jokes. 

He’s never going to experience the homely warmth of his family again.

Dream chokes, and he feels his head spin as more tears blur his vision. Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he tightens his grip on his blanket in an attempt to ground himself to reality. He wipes his tears away, but more replaces them, so he just lets them fall freely. Hiccups take over his body, and he closes his eyes, muffling himself in his pillow.

A series of knocks interrupt his crying session, and he hurriedly wipes his tears away. Forcing a smile onto his face, and _happy thoughts, just think of happy thoughts, Dream._ He walks to the door, willing his hands to stop shaking, and opens the door.

Bad stands in the hallway, his eyes glowing red, dimming only when he senses the gloomy atmosphere. His fangs retract a little, and Dream internally cringes as he imagines his gums sliding against the bone-

_Don’t._

“Uh, what are you doing here Bad?” Dream asks, standing to the side so that Bad enters his room. He opts to sit on his gaming chair as Bad plops himself down on his bed.

“Are you okay? You seemed… sad, and overwhelmed,” Bad points out, and Dream sniffs, looking down at his fingers as they dance around the hem of his shirt. 

“Yeah, well, I mean, my parents just died, and the police isn’t helping at all. Plus, today morning and afternoon just… got to me, I guess,” Dream confesses, running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit of his. Bad hums. 

“Well, does it help if I suck your blood?” 

_“What?”_

“You heard me!” Bad says, pink dusting his cheeks as he looks away, his feet tapping the ground with a steady rhythm. Dream stares at Bad, his words stolen from his mouth. “So…?”

“Are- are you serious?”

“Yeah.” 

Dream scans his face for a hint to give away his joke, but Bad curls into a ball, hugging his knees as he shoots Dream a puppy eyes, and _oh, he’s serious, isn’t he?_

“It won’t hurt,” Bad reassures him. “It’s quick and easy. I promise.”

“I don’t- Bad, what?”

“Please,” Bad begs him, pouting. “I need your blood.”

Bad’s fangs extend a little at the mention of blood, his eyes a brighter red, and Dream stares at his hands instead. His feelings are all jumbled up, a cauldron of confusion, curiosity, and fear bubbling in his stomach, as his thoughts overlap each other.

“I’m hungry, Dream.”

Dream’s eyes widen at how Bad’s voice has deepened, and he presses himself back into his chair. 

“It wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Bad nods eagerly. “So, can I?”

Bad stands up, and approaches Dream. The moon seems to brighten at Dream’s acceptance as she shines brighter, the glow emitted from her intensifying as they trickle into Dream’s room through his windows. With every step, Dream can feel his heart race faster, nerves consuming his entire body. He doesn’t know what to expect, and frankly, he’s scared shitless, freezing as Bad stands over him.

He feels Bad tilt his head sideways, exposing his neck. Out of panic, he shoves Bad’s hands away, and Bad growls out of anger.

“Can- can you, uh…” Dream’s mind goes blank, desperate to search for an alternative. “My wrist?” 

He holds up his left hand, his wrist turned upwards, exposed. Bad clamps his hands around Dream’s forearm, and brings it to his mouth, the tip of his fangs sparkling a little. Dream averts his eyes, and tenses when Bad’s fangs poke into his skin.

“Wait!” Dream yells, pulling his wrist from Bad’s grasp. “How… are you gonna kill me?”

“Kill you?” Bad chuckles. “No, darling. You’re too precious to be killed.”

Dream grimaces, and Bad’s hands are wrapping around his arms again. This time, he feels the fangs slide against his flesh as they break a vein, and Dream wants to cry. Biting on his lip, he squirms around. He feels blood flowing out of his wrist, and he panics. 

“Bad, stop!”

Bad retracts his fangs as he loosens his grip on Dream, his eyes not as bloodthirsty as before. Snatching his arm back, Dream pulls it close to his chest. His breathing is shallow, and he wants to puke. A thin stream of blood flows down, staining his shirt a little, and Bad’s eyes widen as the red fades momentarily, revealing the human underneath. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Dream. Here, I’ll grab some tissues and get the first aid kit, alright?” 

Bad leaves the room, and Dream whimpers as he shrinks further into himself. Closing his eyes, he tries to steady himself. The silence is suffocating, yet comforting, and he basks in it.

Only for it to be shattered by glass breaking.

Dream snaps awake as he jumps up, knocking his chair into his table. He glances around like a deer in headlights, jittery and unsure, wondering whether he’s hallucinating. He is proven wrong as he spots a rock on his marble tiles, surrounded by glass from the window. 

A chill breeze enters his room, and he scowls at the unwelcome guest, though he is gripped more by fear than annoyance. He tiptoes to the broken window, his curtains swaying slightly, and looks around.

A silhouette flashes across his eyes, and before he knows it, a blunt object hits him. He falls, breaking the glass underneath him with a sickening ‘crunch’. A shadow looms over him, and he tries to cling onto his consciousness as it slips from his grasp slowly. A pair of hands grab him, but he thrashes around weakly, and Bad’s name finds its way out of his throat in a painful scream.

“Shh, Dream, it’s alright, I’ve got you.”

He’s fading in and out of reality, but the familiar accent haunts him. The final piece of thread snaps, and he is sent plummeting into the darkness. 

His body goes limp, and the last thing he remembers is a mat of brown fur and cool wind on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear at the end of this book im gonna go insane-
> 
> peepeepoopoo how was this chapter?


	3. i don't know how to name chapters!!!1!!111!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> authors note: HI GUYS ITS ME CORDELIASEPT AGAIN! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING OUR BOOK UWUWUWUWUWU! (´ω｀*) ♡＾▽＾♡♡＾▽＾♡♡＾▽＾♡♡＾▽＾♡
> 
> serious authors note: THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS, THEY WERE HILARIOUS TO READ! I CAN’T BELIEVE WE'RE GETTING THIS MUCH SUPPORT!  
> please note that EVERYTHING has some sort of cliche-ness to it (with the exception of the title of the work and prob the desc) so keep your eyes peeled bc you never know what sort of subtle cliche's hiding in every chapter :D
> 
> oh yeah theres kissing here—don’t take it romantically tho lol, yes kissing and mentions of kinks. but there aren’t any like, explicit scenes man. we don’t do that here
> 
> i half-died writing this oh my god. its actually my first time writing these kinds of scenes so pls—
> 
> still writing this and IM FRICKING DYING someone pls kill me

When Dream opened his eyes, everything was dark and it took him a couple of moments to regain his vision. When he finally came to and had blinked the sleep out of his eyes, he found himself tied to a chair, wrists and ankles bound to the wood with scratchy ropes. He pulled at them, grumbling at the failed attempts every time, before finally sitting back and trying to remember what happened. Bad had sucked his blood, and then...the window had shattered. Someone broke in and took him away as he passed out. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew the accent.

"You're awake." The surprisingly-low growl of a voice broke the silence, and Dream's head snapped upwards, looking for the source. He couldn't tell where he was, but the room seemed to be small, and there didn't seem to be any entrances or exits.

Above him, a lightbulb flickered on, and he found himself face-to-face with an all-too-familiar friend.

"GEORGE!?" Dream's jaw dropped as he recalled what Sapnap had said earlier, and made the connection immediately. It _was_ George, but his arms and body were mostly covered in a layer of brown fur, save for his face that remained the same as it always had been. George seemed to be hunching over as he stood, ready to fall on all fours, and his hands were replaced by large paws that were adorned with sharp claws. Sapnap had called him a werewolf, but he hadn't expected George to appear so suddenly like this. "What--what even are you!?"

"A werewolf, what do you mean?" George frowned, and the longer Dream stared at George the more horrified he became. "What's with the look? Is it because my head isn't transformed? Yeah, it's not a full moon, so I'm not completely berserk."

"WhAT DO YOU MEAN, BERSERK!?" Dream instinctively tried to rub his eyes before remembering he was cuffed to a chair. "Did you do this!?"

"You mean the tying-you-up-in-a-chair thing? Yeah." George nonchalantly came closer, his furry feet making the room shake slightly from his weight. As he bent down to Dream's eye level, he grinned. "I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

"Why am I even here!?" Dream glanced downwards, realizing the glass shards that had embedded themselves into his skin were gone. "You—You healed me even after you destroyed my window."

"Oh, sorry about that, I'll get Sapnap to get you another one. He's rich, did you forget?" George interrupted Dream before the blond could protest. "I healed you because I care about you, Dream. When I saw Bad just...draining blood from your wrist, I don't know...it was like I just couldn't stand the idea of you giving your blood to someone else. Or in general, just you being with...anyone. You belong to me, Dream."

"Oh hell no! I don't belong to _anybody!_ " Dream gaped at him, wondering if this was even the George he had known before. To add on to the list of possibly crazy things that could have happened, George actually turning out to be a werewolf, Bad drinking his blood, Techno flirting with him—he swore he knew Techno before, but the thought of the flirty man was enough to make his head hurt even more. "Let me go!"

"No way." George gave him a sly grin that made Dream want to hurl all over again. "Not a chance."

"What did I even do to deserve this?" Dream glanced around, trying to see if there were any openings, but the whole room seemed to have no way of entry nor exit. He tried to think rationally in his tired and exhausted state. George was here with him, which meant that he must've had a way to come in and out. _But where?_ He needed to stall for time. "I swear, the only person that's actually normal in all of this is Sapnap."

"Sapnap?" George shrieked, nearly doubling over in laughter. " _Sapnap!?_ You're joking. You're actually joking."

"What do you mean, I'm joking!?" Dream glared at George, trying to find the knot tying his wrists together with his fingers. "You and Bad are literally _monsters!_ " At that, George winced slightly, and Dream immediately felt guilty. "Okay, it wasn't meant to come out like that, but you get what I mean, right? Like, physically and—"

"Yeah, yeah," George waved him off, a fake smile plastered on his face. "But if you think Sapnap is normal, you've got a big storm coming. He's nowhere near close."

Dream recalled Sapnap's strange behavior at Starbucks earlier that day the minute he had seen Techno. But then again, wasn't that something friends would do for other people? Sapnap was most likely just looking out for him... _right?_ "What do you mean?"

"Oh my god, Dream. Sapnap's _literally_ insane! He's very good at hiding it, obviously, but just you wait. I'm going to bet _right now_ that he's looking for you." George sighed, nearly running a claw through his hair by accident. Dream's spirits rose a little at that—if Sapnap was looking for him, Bad was probably with him, and he knew the two would find a way to break through the wall. He just needed to get out of the chair somehow.

George saw Dream's hopeful expression and his soul seemed to die a little inside. "I'm still your friend, you know."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the George I know doesn't tie his best friends to a chair," Dream replied with a snarky tone, and George turned away, conflict reigning in his eyes. "Can you just let me go? I don't want this."

"God, I would, but—argh! What if Bad tries to drink your blood again!?" George shook his head vigorously. "Alright, you know what? Let's make a deal."

"A...deal?" Dream momentarily stopped fiddling with the ropes, curious. He _still_ couldn't find the knot.

"Yeah." George seemed to fiddle with his paws, which looked utterly ridiculous. "How about this: we'll have a kissing competition—"

"NO!" Dream shook his head. "First blood drinking, and now _kissing!?_ "

"Look, just hear me out, okay!?" George held up a paw, and Dream relented. "We'll kiss—first one to draw back loses. If I win, you stay here with me, and you'll be mine. If you win, I'll let you out, and I'll hold back."

"That's so fucking vague!" Dream bit his lip, weighing his options. "What if I don't want to do the bet?"

"I don't know. Probably get left here. You're actually so lucky right now; my werewolf instincts are trying to kick in and I'm suppressing them as best as I can right now." George kept brushing his paw across his head as if he wanted to hold it but couldn't because of his razor-sharp claws. Dream watched his friend suffer, unsure of what to do. 

He needed to get out of his bindings. Did he really have a choice? He couldn't really ever imagine himself ever kissing George—normally, seeing the ship passed around his fans was taken lightheartedly, and he didn't mind the "bromance". Kissing was another thing though—it was crossing a line.

But Bad drinking his blood also crossed a line, and he had made that decision without even thinking. _Fuck it, everything's gone to shit anyways._

"Fine." Dream muttered, and George's eyes lit up in surprise. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! As long as like, your head is still normal." Dream reddened, realizing that not only was he going to kiss his best friend, but he was also going to be kissed a mostly-transformed werewolf. "Please don't cup my face, I'm scared you're going to scratch it off."

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," George assured, and Dream flushed an even deeper shade of red at the out-of-context comment. "You didn't have to say it like _that_..."

"Aww, don't flatter yourself—you're still my friend and no way am I doing that in my werewolf form anyways. Unless you're into beastality?" Dream choked at George's satiric statement, causing George to let out his adorable laughter. "I'll protect you no matter what Dream, even if it's from myself." His gaze grew wistful as he lumbered over to Dream. He placed his knees (were they even his knees anymore) down on the ground as if he were crawling in order to get to the same level as Dream. It wasn't too difficult—their height difference was impressive.

"Might wanna take a breath before you lose it," George suggested, and Dream took a deep breath. His heart was starting to pound, but whether it was the prospect of a competition or something else, he didn't know. George was close to his face now, and even with the rest of body now that of a wolf, his face still remained the same—same chocolate-colored orbs, clout goggles on the top of his head, same loving gaze Dream would sometimes see on George's face during their streams whenever he talked about him. He gently cradled Dream's face with his right claw, the enlarged hand nearly getting a wave of fur in Dream's left eye. 

Dream drew back, and George frowned for a moment before the blond sneezed in the opposite direction, small tufts of brown fur flying in the air. 

"Sorry, your fur tickles," Dream apologized, and George giggled slightly at his friend's reaction.

"It's alright, I'll shift my hand a bit." George tilted his hand towards the side a little more, two fingers behind Dream's ear. "Better?"

"Yeah," Dream breathed. He vaguely recalled his first kiss--a hot tub in an amusement park, some girl that he couldn't seem to remember for some reason. The kiss had been nice, short and sweet. He never had a long kiss, and it worried him slightly. _YOLO,_ he thought to himself.

George leaned in, closing his eyes, and Dream accepted his embrace.

The kiss started off slow and sweet, and Dream was thankful that George continued to retain his soft and adorable side even in this new reality he couldn't quite gripe with. George's lips were soft, nearly enveloping his as Dream reciprocated. In the back of his mind, his whole brain screamed _WHAT ARE YOU DOING_ , but at the same time he lost himself in the moment, focusing only on George and how they were kissing. _Kissing._

It felt strangely nice, and Dream was starting to get used to the idea of being able to kiss his best friend. The fur on George's paws nuzzled his cheek and ear, sending some shivers down his spine. His fingers reached for something to grab, ending up on the ropes themselves. He was already starting to burn out a little, but he refused to lose. After all, his future state was on the line.

Though it was a sweet kiss at first, it soon began to turn sultry. George seemed to want to up the competition, and Dream was happy to oblige. After all, he didn't plan to go down, and he wasn't going to go down especially since he made it this far. George's tongue slipped into his mouth, and Dream hesitated--was this too far already? Should he call it off? He didn't even have time to think before George began to wrestle with him, their tongues fighting for dominance. He could only press back, hoping he wouldn't be the first one to burn out. George only drew closer to him, his other arm wrapped around Dream's shoulder as they continued their battle of love.

They were both so wrapped up in their condition that they didn't even hear the distinct voice of Bad behind the wall yelling "OPEN WIDE!" Moments later, the wall behind George collapsed, calling both of them to pull back from each immediately, a line of saliva following their mouths before dripping onto the floor. Dream whirled around, looking for the source, but it was only two seconds before a hooded figure from the left slammed into George at top speed, both flashing in front of his eyes. From the gaping hole in the wall was a large truck, the front dented and banged up thanks to the wall's dented remains. As Dream choked on debris, a figure jumped out from the passenger seat, running towards him with a knife in hand. Dream sighed in relief, recognizing the headband immediately. "Sapnap!"

"Dream! Holy shit are you okay!?" Sapnap gave him a quick hug before slicing through Dream's bonds with the knife, freeing his friend. Dream tried to stand up, finding his legs shaky, and he fell forward right into Sapnap's arms. Tears welled up at the edge of his eyes-- _what was wrong with him!?_ He'd just kissed his best friend and almost--ALMOST--enjoyed it. Sapnap coddled him gently, rocking him back and forth whilst being careful not to touch him with the knife. "Shh...we've got you. I don't know what even happened with George--werewolf instincts, probably, but--and they're fighting again."

Dream lifted his head up to see Bad and George going at it, the two having an all-out brawl. Bad was repeatedly trying to punch George in the face, while George snapped at him and growled in hostility as his claws raked Bad's hoodie.

"He's mine!" Bad hissed. "You sneaky little muffinhead!"

"You broke his trust," George sneered as the two circled each other. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

"Stop it! George, calm down! Bad, leave him be! Dream's fucking terrified of y'all!" Sapnap yelled at the two, causing them to cease their argument. "Dream, what happened!? When we got to your room, the window was broken and you were just...gone!"

"George was watching Bad drink my blood." At this, Sapnap's eye twitched slightly, but Dream paid no attention to it. "He got jealous, I think, and he kidnapped me. We made a bet on a kissing competition, and we were in the middle of it before Bad came in and broke down the wall." Sapnap's hand tightened around the knife, and Bad tensed slightly as George glanced away. "Look, it's alright, it was mutual consent and in the end I got saved either way. This all feels like a fever dream...but thank you guys. Even you, George."

"You're welcome," Bad replied in his sweet tone before glancing at the truck and grimacing. "Whoops...Sapnap, you don't mind paying for repairs, right?"

"Yeah. The nearest car repair isn't that far, I'm loaded, and the sun's rising so they should be open. George didn't stray too far; we're just outside the city." Sapnap helped Dream to steady himself. "I dear god hope one of you guys have food and water for him. He needs it--and a good nap."

"On it," George said, and Bad and Sapnap glared at him. He threw his hands up in the air, innocence playing on his face. "What?"

"Nothing," the two replied simultaneously, and Dream made his way back to the truck, climbing into the back of the truck with a slowly-transforming George. Bad took the driver's seat, and Sapnap slid into shotgun as the truck roared and left the scene.

_______

When the team had finally gotten the truck repaired and managed to get back home in less than an hour, Dream collapsed onto his bed immediately, needing a decent nap and some rest. His cat Patches curled up at the corner of his bed. "Thank god you're normal," Dream said aloud in relief, stroking the cat. In the kitchen, Bad, George, and Sapnap seemed to be talking amongst themselves, the faint sound of the oven being used lulling Dream to sleep.

He woke up again thirty minutes later, finding the apartment to be mostly silent. Quietly heading out his room, he saw Bad and George both asleep in the living room, Bad curled into himself in his sleeping bag with his hood over his head. George, back to normal, was on the floor, sprawled out with a blanket over his body. Sapnap was nowhere to be seen.

Upon arriving into the kitchen, there were a platter of muffins on the counter, along with a small note. Dream picked up the note, reading it as he took a muffin.

_Bad and George are taking a nap  
Bad baked some muffins; they're blueberry  
Went out to get groceries, take a shower and get rest oki?  
love you ♡♡♡_

_-Sapnap_

Dream's heart swelled a little at the letter, and he pinched himself to remind himself that this wasn't his reality. That he was still in a place where everyone was drastically different and he needed to get back to god-who-knows-where where Bad wasn't drinking his blood and George wasn't trying to devour him or something. 

He took Sapnap's advice, chowing down the rest of his muffin before hopping into the shower. Before he went in, he glanced at himself in the mirror--lips swollen from the night ordeal from before, covered in small cuts from the glass window (that Sapnap had somehow paid for to be magically repaired during the night), circles under his eyes and a gaunt expression. The shower was warm, alleviating his stress a little bit with the extra steam, and by the time he had finished changing he looked a lot better without all the grime. On his wrist, the two bite marks were healing quickly as if Bad had never blood drunk at all.

When he stepped into his room, he nearly screamed. Or at least, that was his first instinct, followed by a rapid blinking to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and then a quick pinch.

Standing where Patches had been curled up was a man, light-brown curly hair falling in front of his eyes. Protruding from his head were two cat ears, the same grayish-brown mottled color that was of Patches. His eyes were the same emerald-green color, and he wore a loose gray hoodie and baggy sweatpants. From the back swished a tail, flicking back and forth lazily.

"What the--oh my god. WHERE'S MY CAT AND WHO ARE YOU!?" Dream whisper-shouted, frantically peering around for his missing cat. "You're not--You're not Patches, are you!?"

"Oh, me?" The man's voice was low, tied up with a strong British accent just like George and with a calm and half-contempt demeanor. "Probably should introduce myself."

"Yeah, you better! My cat is missing!" Dream nearly tore his hair out as he opened his closet. "What's this electric guitar doing here, I--is this yours!?"

"It's mine." The man had a Cheshire-cat grin, his pupils dilating. "I'll clear things up for you. I'm Patches---yes, I'm the cat--and I've pretended to be female for a very long time. It was difficult, trust me, but you seemed to fall for it pretty well. I'm actually a cat hybrid, and can transform back and forth freely, though I guess I always keep my ears and tail. Oh yeah, don't call me Patches when I'm in human form like this."

"What!? What even is your name then?" Dream gaped at the cat hybrid, wondering where it had all started going downhill.

"Oh, just call me Wilbur Soot, or Wilbur for short."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DIED WRITING THIS AT 2AM. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF SJREIANSRIK
> 
> kudos and comments appreciated as always!
> 
> FRIENDLY REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS ROMANCE, THIS IS A CRACKFIC, AND THAT DREAM IS NOT GOING TO BECOME A HAREM PROTAGONIST THANKS
> 
> isleofdreams: "surprise me"  
> cordeliasept: *makes patches Wilbur*  
> isleofdreams: WAIT NO NOT LIKE THAT-


	4. i am losing my mind and cordelia wants to add mr beast into this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title says it all
> 
> i wrote this in (almost) one sitting, so my eyes are burning
> 
> my braincells are dead. i hope you enjoy this

Dream stares at the man, who seems unfazed at the entire situation as he stretches on the bed, yawning in the process. Patches (Wilbur??) reaches out to scratch at the back of his ears, his tail flicking back and forth, ruffling his hair on accident. Rolling to lie on his back, Wilbur glances up at him.

“What, are you just gonna stare at me like that for the rest of the day?” 

“No- no, god, no, I-” The words are stuck in Dream’s throat as if it was a cork to a wine bottle. He’s rendered speechless (he realises that this seems to happen a lot lately, but then again, what did you expect when your friends are suddenly mythical creatures and your cat just transformed into a full grown man?), and he merely gulps, trying to get rid of the uneasiness that’s bubbling in his stomach. “Why- how?”

“I just change when I’m comfortable,” Wilbur replies, a mystery glint behind those emerald green eyes. “Well, mostly when you’re not around.”

“That still doesn’t explain how Patches is- is a fucking human now! You’re, what, a cat hybrid thingy?” 

Wilbur merely scoffs, but his tail is swishing faster, a sign of annoyance that Dream recognises. “Look, it doesn’t matter, okay? I’m still Patches, but don’t call me that when I’m in human form. God, it sounds so stupid.”

Dream watches as Wilbur lies flat on his bed, taking up most of the space, his ears flickering. God, it feels like a fever dream at this point. He sighs, pinching his nose bridge.

_Give me a fucking break._

“Why are you so distressed? It’s just me, dude,” Wilbur says, a shit-eating grin on his face as Dream paces back and forth the room, his hair still wet and curled up. “I’m not gonna eat you up or something, chill.”

“But can you?”

Wilbur shrugs, and Dream almost trips. 

“I’m just kidding, gosh, relax, would ya?” Wilbur snorts, rolling onto his back once more as he looks at Dream upside down. 

“You’re asking me to relax? Literally all my friends are now either weird human hybrid or they’re in fucking love with me!” Dream yells, throwing his hands up in frustration. Wilbur flinches at his tone, and Dream tries to calm himself down by taking deep breaths. “Okay, well, everyone except for Sapnap.”

“Did you just say ‘except for Sapnap’?” Wilbur laughs, but his tail curls around his torso in a defensive stance. “He’s literally the most mentally unstable human ever.”

“Well, at least he isn’t head over heels for me,” Dream mutters.

“I’m not too, don’t worry,” Wilbur says, but a smirk forms on his face, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Unless you want me to?”

“No!” Dream chokes, and Wilbur laughs again, howling like there’s no tomorrow. “No, god! That’s so weird!”

Wilbur shifts so that there’s one tiny, little, wittle, baby space on the bed, and pats the soft covers, an invitation to Dream. As Dream sits down, Wilbur wraps his arms around Dream, startling Dream. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Dream stands, but Wilbur pulls on his wrist, whining at the loss of touch. However, he retracts it almost immediately, hissing. His eyes are wide as he scrambles to put distance between him and Dream, backing up so that his back is against the closet. 

“Uh, Patche-”

“Wilbur,” he corrects, growling a little, but his ears are flat against his hair. “Don’t come near me.”

“What, why-”

“Werewolf scent,” Wilbur wipes his hands on his clothes, hoping that it will get rid of the disgusting feeling. “It was George, wasn’t it?”

“I mean, yeah- George is-” Suddenly, everything clicks. “Is that why you were never around when I talked to George?”

Wilbur sighs. “Yeah. I- his magic, it doesn’t click with mine. I don’t like werewolves. Hell, I don’t even know how Schlatt deals with it, too.”

Dream feels bad. He doesn’t want Patches to be this cautious around him, when he’s supposed to be the one taking care of him. “Is there anything I can do to get rid of the scent?”  
Wilbur merely shakes his head, but his stance slowly relaxes a little. “Well, the scent takes a day or two to fade away, so no. It’s alright, though, I- I’ll leave-”

His window suddenly shatters, and Dream screams as explosions of glass flies everywhere, landing on his carpet. Wilbur jumps, accidentally knocking his head on the closet, and he lets out a yelp of surprise. A rock about the size of a fist sits innocently in the middle of the room, and both Dream and Wilbur glances at it wearily.

A figure appears by the window all of a sudden, and Dream scrambles the _fuck_ away from the shattered glass as far as possible. His entire body shakes in fear as he looks at the unwelcomed visitor.

“Dream, please listen-”

“Get the fuck away from him!” 

A loud crunch, followed by a thud as the intruder lies limp on the floor. Wilbur stood behind the man, his hands shaking as his grip on the guitar loosens. The closet door slams shut.

“Did you just knock him out with a guitar?”

Wilbur lets the guitar fall from his grasp. “I killed him, didn’t I?”

“No- no you didn’t.” A weak cough comes from the man with pink highlights, and Dream finds him familiar. “Because Technoblade never dies.”

_Oh, it’s him._

“Why the fuck are you in my room and-” Dream gasps. “How did you even get my address?”

“You know him?” Wilbur eyes Techno wearily, picking up the guitar again, ready to swing. Techno groans as he rubs his head, and his eyes widens when he sees Wilbur.

“Waitwaitwaitwait, I- I can explain, just don’t hit me again, please,” he tries to sit up, but Wilbur raises an eyebrow, his grip tightening on the guitar, so Techno just lies back down again. “I don’t mean no harm, I swear.”

Wilbur eyes Dream a questioning look, his tail curling around his legs. Dream motions Wilbur to put his guitar down, and he begrudgingly obeys. 

“Thank you, Dream.”

“Why are you here for?” Dream asks, his voice low. 

“Well, I’m here to warn you about something,” Techno starts, and Wilbur is pacing around the room, his ears twitching as his senses heighten due to the adrenaline rush that he had gone through. “You’re in a very dangerous spot-”

“Because you just crashed into my room!” Dream protests, and Wilbur purrs in agreement. Techno side-eyes Wilbur, but Wilbur looks at the guitar, ready to take it in his hands, and Techno sighs in defeat.

“No, I’m not your worst enemy-”

“Then who is?”

“It’s-”

“Dream!” Bad crashes into the room, barrelling through the door, and Techno’s eyes widen. He scrambles up and stands by the window, one leg already out of the room. George and Sapnap follows behind Bad, and Wilbur cringes, shifting back into cat form as he leaps gracefully out of the window and past Techno. 

“Get out of here!” George growls, and Techno barely dodges Sapnap’s swing.

“Dream, please, I-”

“GET OUT!” Subpoena yells, and Techno swan dives out of the window in no time. The trio are standing in the room, tense with anger. Dream glances at them.

“Uh…”

“Dream! Are you okay?” Sapnap is the first one to snap out of his daze as he scrambles to Dream, and soon hands are all over his body as Sapnap checks on him. “Did he hurt you? I swear, I will kill him if-”

“Whoa, whoa, Sap, chill,” Dream chuckles as George winces at Sapnap’s words. “I’m fine, I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?” Bad asks, and before he can place a hand on Dream, Sapnap is glaring at him. Bad backs off, albeit hesitating a little, but Sapnap turns back to Dream, placing all his attention on him as he checks his wrists for any wounds.

“I’m fine, I promise. Where the hell did you guys come from?”

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it,” George says, though his eyes betray his thoughts. It’s not nothing, and Dream knows that. Although George is a werewolf now, he’s still his best friend.

He looks at the others, but they merely avoid his gaze. Huffing, he stands up.

“Well, alright. Have fun, you three,” he says, a little too bitterly, and Sapnap reaches out for him to stop him from leaving, but Dream glares at him. He shrinks back immediately, whimpering. Bad and George merely watches him leave him room.

He grabs his keys, and slams the front door behind him. He needs to get away from things a little, maybe catch a breather.

He locks the door behind him.

*  
He’s at his local park, his Beats by Dre blasting music in his ears. He watches as children play near the playground, screaming and having fun with each other. 

The trees sway gently in the wind, as some of the leaves fall and land gently on the floor. Birds chirp eagerly as they sit on the branches, watching as people jog around the park with a few walking their dogs.

The sun is setting, and Dream yawns as he feels a wave of tiredness wash over him. It has been hours since he has been here, so he decides to go home.

As soon as he stands up, a dog runs past him, causing him to almost trip. He barely catches the small fluffy body of the dog as it zooms past him, but something knocks into him. He falls to the ground, and he groans at the pain.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The man apologises as he gets off Dream, holding his hand out and offering his help. Dream accepts his hand, and the man pulls him back up. 

“It’s fine,” Dream says, dusting off the debris from the ground. “Uh, your dog?”

“Oh, right! Skeppy, come back here!” he yells, and the dog walks back as it wags its tail, panting due to its little exercise. “I’m so sorry. I’ll buy you coffee as a compensation.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine, I swear-”

“No, I insist,” he says, “but I really have to go now. Do you have a pen?”

“Uh…”

“It’s fine, I got it,” he pulls a pen out of his pocket, and who the hell brings pens around? “Your hand?”

“What” Dream chokes out the word, and the dog barks, its tongue hanging out of its mouth. Dream holds out his hand anyway, and the stranger scribbles down something on his arm. He feels the ticklish tip of the pen against his skin. 

“Aight, there. Just text me if you’re free.”

Dream pulls his arm back, and a black string of numbers are inked along his arm. He smiles a little, and looks up. The stranger is ready to leave as he holds onto the dog’s leash, but Dream taps on his shoulder, causing him to turn back.

“What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The stranger grins as his hazel, brown, clocolatey eyes glints under the sunlight. 

“Finn. Call me Finn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: okay choose between mr beast and f1nn
> 
> cordelia: fuck it. mr beast
> 
> me: wait no-
> 
> also, some of the weirdass descriptions are intentional. no, sap's accidental name change to subpoena is NOT intentional, but i'll leave it there for the laughs


	5. I SAID SQUARE UP, NOT SQUARE ROOT (i KNOW WHAT I SAID)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goddamn this blew up a lot more than i expected it to...lets pray that if they come across this they have somewhere to choke
> 
> this ones less crackheady but itll get back to being so soon :)
> 
> also some ao3 fic blew up on twitter...bit scared
> 
> oh yeah SSP, check out ADAD on my profile at cordeliasept :D

On his way back home, the sky was quickly overtaken by thick gray clouds that soon began to pour rain from the heavens, effectively soaking Dream as he stopped walking and immediately took shelter underneath a storefront, shivering slightly from the cold. It seemed like in this new alternate reality that even the weather was changing—it was almost never "cold" in Florida, nor did it ever rain this harshly without a hurricane. "I hate this," he mumbled.

He glanced at his hand, where Finn had wrote his number down for coffee. It was slightly smudged from the rain, but the numbers were still legible. He took out his phone, surprised but relieved to see that none of his friends had called or texted him. Scrolling to his contacts, he added a new contact, labelling it "Finn" before putting his phone away, about to stuff in another earbud when a sudden "Dream!" interrupted him.

"Sapnap?" He whirled towards his friend, who was wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella as he ran down the street to meet up with him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, we decided to give you some space, but it was getting dark and you weren't calling or texting us at all. Everyone got worried and we were all going to look for you, but then George started transforming—it's a full moon after all—and now Bad is trying to keep him under control. Also, your cat came back, though she's just staying in your closet and sleeping. I got the window repaired," Sapnap finished. "I'm here to take you back."

"Are you going to pull up a car and make some random guy your 'dad' owns drive us back?" Dream didn't intend for his voice to sound so bitter, but it seemed it came out that way as Sapnap frowned and shook his head vigorously.

"What, no! Let's just walk back." Sapnap glanced at Dream's hoodie, ducking under the storefront and setting the umbrella aside. "You should take your hoodie off before you catch a cold. You can wear my raincoat instead."

"I--are you sure? What about you?" Dream hesitated; he had to be much more wary of everything especially since Patches/Wilbur had mentioned something about George's "magic" clashing with his own. Already two people had told him Sapnap was off his rocker, but seeing his friend stand in the rain made him believe more and more that Sapnap was the only one he could trust to be normal. _I guess Patches too, but then again he wasn't my cat before all of this happened...unless he had been Patches from the very day I adopted him._

"I'll be fine. Trust me." Sapnap unbuttoned his raincoat to reveal a black sweater underneath. "I'm still wearing dry clothes. No one's here because of the rain. Just do it."

"Fine. And don't look." Dream snatched Sapnap's raincoat, turning away as he took off his drenched hoodie, donning the raincoat. It was warm thanks to Sapnap's body heat, and the sudden shift in temperature made him sneeze. A quick "bless you" left Sapnap's lips as Dream finished buttoning the raincoat and he turned back. "You can look."

Sapnap opened his eyes, holding his arm out. "I'll carry your hoodie. Can't have you catching a cold. You're already drenched as is."

"Thanks." Dream quickly transferred his earbuds and phone to Sapnap's raincoat pockets, and handed Sapnap the wet clothing. Sapnap nodded back at him as a "you're welcome" before picking up the umbrella. "Come on."

Dream quickly huddled under Sapnap's umbrella, staying on his right side as they stepped back out into the rain, heading towards Dream's apartment. The rain filled the comfortable silence with a monotone sound as Sapnap held the hoodie and umbrella in his left hand, his right arm wrapped around Dream protectively. For once, Dream momentarily forgot he was in a world that he didn’t understand, and everything was alright and comfortable by Sapnap's side. It was...unnerving.

"Want to talk about it?" Sapnap asked as if he had been reading Dream's thoughts.

"Talk about what?" Dream replied hesitantly.

"Everything. How you've been feeling, adjusting to all of this new information." Sapnap waved his arm around, shrugging. "I don't know; maybe it'll help relieve your tension a bit. You've been really out of it."

"Oh..." Dream didn't know if he was willing to say anything so readily, especially after what happened with Bad (even though he technically didn't mean it). Then again, Sapnap had consistently been the only one he could rely on. Bad had nearly killed him, then George had kidnapped him, then Techno (he _still_ couldn't figure out where he sworn he knew him before) had broke into his house, and his cat turned out to be some male cat hybrid. Sapnap seemed to be the only one that hadn't changed a bit—minus the fact that everyone else around him was telling him Sapnap was insane and diabolical. But Sapnap right now seemed to be perfectly fine, keeping him safe and warm and cozy even in the pouring rain.

"You can trust me. I'll never hurt you," Sapnap reassured, and Dream nearly caved had he not felt Sapnap go rigid and stop in his tracks. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning. 

"What's on your hand?" Sapnap lifted Dream's arm, staring at the now-illegible number on Dream's hand.

"It's uh...It's a phone number," Dream answered.

"Techno?" Sapnap's voice dropped to an unnaturally-low tone, and Dream nearly shuddered. His friend seemed to barely be holding back rage, hands twitching slightly. "That bastard, I swear to god--"

"It's not Techno," Dream interrupted, and Sapnap visibly eased a bit. "Actually, it's a guy I met at the park. His dog attacked me so he apologized for it and then offered to buy me a coffee as compensation. It's not a date, trust me. I don't even know if I'm going to accept it anyways." 

"Do it," Sapnap suggested as he started walking again, Dream hurriedly catching up.

"Really? I don't even like coffee," Dream muttered.

"Eh, you can get it to-go and the rest of us could just drink it instead--though maybe not Bad, he's a vampire so he doesn't want to ruin his sleep schedule." Sapnap smiled gently.

Dream recalled Wilbur, wondering if the hybrid could drink coffee himself. One thought led to another, and he realized he needed to ask Sapnap something. "Sap, if George and Bad are werewolves and vampires, do they know magic as well?"

"Mmm...more like magic is just a part of their genes. From the way they coddle you it seems like they love you to the point where you're pretty much like their mate. I know for a fact George's fur is magic-infused, though I don't know what kind of effects it has. And Bad can probably transfuse magic whenever he drinks blood, but he never drank my blood so obviously I wouldn't know--though your cat seems pretty adverse to George. I wonder why," Sapnap hummed.

"You're human, right? Just clarifying," Dream checked.

"Yeah, I'm human. What did you think I was, a murderer?" Sapnap laughed. "Ridiculous."

"Wouldn't know, to be honest. George said you were insane," Dream blurted out.

"Nah, he's just joking," Sapnap grinned. "I wouldn't be like that if it endangered you."

"If you say so." Dream ended the topic as they reached the apartment building, worried. Sapnap has said George was joking, but when George had mentioned Sapnap, he seemed almost _frightened_. It was all too puzzling for him, but one thing was for sure--he needed to talk to Wilbur. "I'm going to sleep, don't bother me."

"Sounds good. Sleep well, okay? And wrap up and get cozy. I'm going to look for Bad and hope he's handling George alright." Sapnap patted Dream's shoulder as they entered the building, heading up to Dream's apartment.

_______

"Wilbur?"

For a moment, there was only silence. Moments later, the closet door creaked open, and Wilbur poked his head out, cat ears perked up. "It's just us, isn't it?"

"I think so. Sapnap went looking for Bad," Dream confirmed. "Do I still have the magic on me?"

"It's a bit more damp because of the rain, but I'd like to keep my distance," Wilbur muttered. "Anyways, did you want to talk? I hope you do, because I called someone over."

"What? Who?" As soon as he asked, Dream already knew the answer.

Right at that moment, there was a tap on the window, and Wilbur gracefully turned to open it. Techno climbed in, dusting himself off as he closed the window behind him. Sticks and dirt were in his messy hair, and he seemed incredibly miffed. "Ugh, I almost didn't make it."

"Techno!? What are you--why did you call him here?" Dream asked, bewildered at the sight.

"While I was gone, I followed him and we chatted a bit. Turns out your situation is a lot more complicated than we thought," Wilbur murmured.

"What situation? Please explain," Dream muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Alright...I'll start off," Techno began, clearing his throat. "You already figured you're in some sort of alternate reality, right? Well, turns out me and Wilbur are only here to observe all the chaos. Technically, I'm not supposed to even exist because that wasn't my role in the first place--but here I am, an anomaly in this new reality you're in. Right now, though we can't actually physically help you, we're trying to help you get back to your previous reality."

"So this _is_ all some sort of prolonged fever dream. Just that it isn't," Dream clarified.

"Pretty much, though it seems like the effects are getting to you already. It's only been one day, but you've already moved on from...you know. On top of that, you already lost your memories of Techno here," Wilbur added.

"The reason why I flirted with you at Starbucks was because I needed to see how badly the world was affecting you, and which one of your friends were threats. Now, we all know who your biggest enemy is--but we can't tell you, or else worse outcomes might happen." Techno rolled his shoulders. "Is it kind of making sense for you now?"

"Surprisingly, yeah." Dream smiled at the two. "Thank god both of you guys aren't head over heels for me. It's refreshing."

"You're welcome," Wilbur replied, tail flicking back and forth in content.

"Of course I'm not head over heels. Obviously you won't remember, but we're sworn rivals, especially in Minecraft." Technoblade flipped his hair, pride in his eyes.

"Oh my god." Dream's eyes widened in realization. In the mess of everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about Minecraft and his large fanbase. Hurriedly turning on his phone, he opened Twitter and quickly tweeted out that he would be taking a break from Twitter for a bit to focus on life just to make sure his fans wouldn't go wild. After putting the phone down, he noticed Techno was gone and Wilbur had turned back into a cat, curling up at the base of his bed.

"Wil-" He was interrupted by footsteps as Bad opened the door, breaking out into a sharp-toothed grin. "Dream! You alright?"

"I'm okay, just tired. You?" Dream asked.

"We managed to subdue George a bit, so I came to check on you really quick. You're sleeping now, right?" Bad asked.

"Yeah. Kinda need it, to be honest," Dream murmured.

"Mmkay--" Bad was interrupted by a loud growl from the apartment, and his eyes widened. "Muffins! I gotta go. I'd kiss you goodnight but I don't want George to tear down this entire building so maybe next time. Love you!" And with that, he closed the door, running off.

Dream stared at the door a while longer before glancing back at Wilbur/Patches. "Where's Techno?"

"Right here. Don't mind me, I'm going to hide out here for the rest of tonight. Sleep well," muttered a voice underneath the bed. 

Dream nearly fell out of the bed in surprise. "What!? You can't just--argh, it's too late for this. Whatever. Goodnight." And with that, he chose to ignore his problems and fell into a dreamless slumber instead.

_______

The Starbucks bustled with activity as Dream took a seat at a nearby table, waiting patiently. Moments later, the bell jingled and a familiar face appeared, waving at Dream. "Hey."

"Hey, Finn," Dream replied as the man took a seat down across from him. Finn was wearing a thick coat, his hazel eyes seemingly much more dull than when Dream had first ran into him. Behind the counter, Techno glanced at Dream worriedly, but the blond didn't notice. "You alright? You look kinda down. You didn't have to come, you know--"

"No, no, it's alright," Finn replied. "What do you want?"

"Hmm...I was thinking a hot chocolate. I'm not one for coffee." Dream smiled, and Finn reciprocated half-heartedly before standing up and telling Techno his order. Right before he was about to confirm Dream's drink as the only order, Dream yelled out "Add something comforting for this guy as well!" and placed that drink on his tab, whatever Techno had in mind. 

As the two sat back down, Finn shook his head. "You didn't have to."

"Dude, you look super miserable. The least I can do is make you feel a bit better." Dream smiled, thankful he was talking to someone that didn't seem to be tied into the entire mess he was in. "You can tell me what happened, if that helps."

Finn hesitated, and Techno called their orders. Dream went over to pick them up, heading back with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and something else as well that he couldn't recognize from below the latte art on top. "Here."

"Thanks." Finn took the myserious drink, sipping it as he sighed, smiling a bit. "Green tea latte? Pretty comforting. Thanks," he yelled to Techno, who flashed a thumbs-up in return.

"So, what's up?" Dream asked, drinking his scalding-hot chocolate.

"Oh, yeah" Finn sniffed, shoulders slumping. "Well, it happened last night, so I wasn't expecting to be called so soon. But it happened after we met, and the authorities haven't done anything to help."

"What do you mean?" Dream asked, growing worried at the mention of "authorities". Nearby, Techno also seemed to be listening in.

"Skeppy," Finn choked out. "Goddamnit, Skeppy's dead. My dog was _murdered_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM PLOT TWIST DNJROWNSJDSL
> 
> had a lot of fun writing this! kudos and comments appreciated as always
> 
> REMEMBER THIS IS A CRACKFIC NOT HAREM CENTRAL


	6. oh snap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i wrote this in one sitting again
> 
> TW: blood. lots of blood.
> 
> this was fun to write. youll know why

Dream almost chokes on his hot chocolate, his eyes widening as he places his cup down. At the corner of his eyes, he sees Techno’s eyes widen as well, freezing for a second before continuing his actions to wipe the cups.

“What?” 

“Skeppy, my dog, god, I-” Finn stumbles, barely able to get his words out as tears flow down his face. Dream reaches over, putting his hand above Finn’s in an attempt to comfort him.

“It’s alright if you don’t wanna talk about it,” Dream whispers, and Finn sniffs again, shaking his head as he closes his eyes. Dream lets Finn take a few deep breaths, thumb running in circles along Finn’s knuckles to calm him down, to tell him that he’s there for him. It takes a few minutes of silence (apart from Techno crashing into the backdoor), but Finn opens his eyes again. 

“Sorry, I- okay, I think I’m ready now.”

“Are you sure?” Dream asks worriedly.

Finn takes another deep breath. “Yeah, I need to talk to someone about this. The- the authorities aren’t listening. Okay, so…

“It happened on the night I met you. I was awoken by something… weird, I guess? Like, I felt someone watching me or something, but I- it was stupid. I looked over at Skeppy, and like, I see him still sleeping there, so I assumed that I was just dumb and went back to sleep again.

“The next morning I woke up, there was this… smell in my room, like a rat had died or something. And when I looked over at Skeppy, I-

“Skeppy was still in the same position, but he’s _dead_. His blood is splattered across the walls, and- god, there’s this… this writings on it. Fuck, I- it’s… fuck,” Finn chokes, and his face is so pale that Dream thinks he’s going to faint, so he pushes the cup of coffee closer to Finn. Finn bites on his lip, attempting to calm himself down.

“I’m so sorry, Finn,” Dream whispers, leaning forward. He offers a tissue, which Finn gladly accepts, wiping away his tears. Techno is silent. Finn looks down at his lap.

“If only I had… if only I had checked in on Skeppy, he wouldn’t be….” 

“Finn,” Dream sighs, “you’re not to blame here.”

“But-”

“No, Finn,” Dream squeezes his hand. “Don’t.”

Finn nods, and opens his mouth, but Dream sees Techno walk over to their table, a worried look on his face. Pulling his hand away from Finn’s, he mirrors the expression on Techno’s face, and suddenly his heart is pounding faster than ever.

“Finn, you need to leave, _now_ ,” Techno says, the sense of urgency in his voice creeping Dream out a little. Finn only looks at him, confused.

“How do you know my-”

“You’re in danger. Go!” Techno collects back the cups, his eyes darting back and forth from his busy hands to something outside of the shop. Dream tries to look, but he can barely see anything. Finn stands up, and Dream follows, watching as Techno disappears into the kitchen. Finn turns to him.

“Do you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s my friend,” Dream mumbles. Techno reappears again, but this time his apron is no longer on his body. He catches Dream’s gaze, and the fear on his face followed by the single word he mouths sends shivers down Dream’s spine.

Go. 

“So, I’ll see you soon, Finn?” Dream chuckles as they walk out of the shop, the little bell chiming cheerily at their departure. Finn nods. 

“Of course.”

“Text me once you reach home, alright?”

Finn gives him a smile. “Yeah, will do. Bye.”

They part, and Dream makes his way home.

It’s getting dark.

The moon hangs in the sky, bright and round.

*  
When Dream opens the door, he’s greeted by a plate smashing into the wall beside him, barely grazing his head. It shatters into a thousand pieces, and Dream jumps as another plate comes flying at him as he dodges it.

“Dream!” Bad yells from the kitchen, but a loud growl smothers the words from the vampire. As he turns around the corner, his eyes widen.

A wolf is standing on its hind legs, its head almost reaching the ceiling as thin, frail arms wrap around its abdomen. It growls louder as it breaks free from Bad’s grasp, and Bad is thrown against the wall from its sheer force, landing beside a few shattered bowls and a broken chair. The wallpapers are shredded as large claw marks tear through them, the interiors of the walls bare. Dream lets out a soft gasp.

And it’s enough for George to hear it, to turn back and look at Dream. His eyes are glowing, its jaws baring sharp teeth. A few drops of saliva drips down onto the floor, but Dream is more concerned at the fact that George is looking at him so _hungrily_ , and he shrinks on instinct, backing away a little. 

“Dream, run!” Bad yells, and George lets out a loud snarl as he swipes at Bad, though Bad dodges it. Dream gulps, making eye contact with Bad for a second.

And that second is enough for Dream to turn around and _bolt_.

George howls, and it’s so loud that Dream’s hands are flying to his ears to block out the noise. His heart is pounding very quickly, his hands are shaking and he isn’t sure whether the vibrations he feels from the ground are from George or an earthquake. He’s scared.

He’s fucking terrified.

He skids from the kitchen to the living room, trying to reach the front door, but he feels his legs give way underneath him as something swipes, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, the breath knocked out of him. He gasps as a strong paw gets a hold of his foot, and on instinct, he kicks. George bares his teeth as he climbs on top of Dream, trapping the latter under him. Dream can feel George’s breath on him.

 _I’m so fucking dead_ , Dream thinks as he watches George look at him with that same look again, the one that reminds him that George is no longer the hunted. He turns away, choosing to focus on the table leg beside him, but soft fur is on his cheeks and his head is forcefully turned back to look George in his eyes again.

They sit there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, Dream’s fearful gaze meeting George’s aggressive ones. Dream doesn’t realise he’s crying until he feels George’s paw swipe at the tears.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he says, his voice deep and gravelly, but Dream doesn’t acknowledge it. _You're not George_ , Dream thinks, and watches as George leans down to his ear.

_“You’re mine.”_

Dream takes this opportunity to kick George in between his legs with as much force as possible, and George lets out a painful howl, rolling onto the floor beside Dream. Panicking, Dream scrambles up and tries to escape. 

“I’m home.”

Dream lets out a cry as George sinks his claws into Dream’s right ankle. He falls, and a pair of black Skechers is in front of him. He curls up as he holds his ankle, whimpering a little.

A bloody knife drops beside him, and his eyes follow the trail of blood that’s dripping from a finger. A bloody palm, and a stained white shirt.

Sapnap’s face is painted with blood. Dream screams as Sapnap glares at George, who is returning the eye contact with fear in his eyes.

“George,” Sapnap says, and his voice is dangerously low and quiet, dripping with some sort of menace that makes Dream want to run away. _“What did you just fucking do?”_

George opens his mouth to explain, but before he is able to say anything, a loud cackle tears its way through Sapnap’s mouth. 

“Oh, Georgie~”

Dream gulps, as Sapnap steps forward towards George. Somehow, a clean knife is in his hand. George snaps out of his daze, and like a smart person (werewolf?) would do in this situation, he _bolts_.

"Hurting Dreamie?" Sapnap says, but Dream isn't even sure he's Sapnap anymore, from the sickly, sweet voice he's putting up. "You bad, bad wolf."

Sapnap’s giggles ring through the entire house, and Dream feels cold.

“Oh Georgie, come out to play~”

Another distorted giggle.

“Georgie~" 

"Sap?" Dream calls out, his voice weak and shaky, and ⬧︎♋︎◻︎■︎♋︎◻︎ turns to look at him. He gives Dream a smile, as if Dream is his entire world. Walking over to him, he uses the tip of the knife to tilt Dream's head up, examining him in a way that makes Dream feel exposed.

"Oh, baby, why are you calling out to that weak mortal?" ⬧︎♋︎◻︎■︎♋︎◻︎ murmurs, inspecting Dream like a diamond. Dream shivers, his eyes fixed on the blade as it glints dangerously under the light. "Don't worry, darling, I'll protect you."

"Who- who are you?" Dream asks, and makes eye contact with ⬧︎♋︎◻︎■︎ for the first time, and his eyes widen at the red irises that has replaced the usual, warm brown eyes. He gulps as ⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎ sighs.

"Baby," ⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎ smiles, a wide grin stretched across his face. A coat of blood stains his teeth as he uses his tongue to swipe at it. "So pretty, so curious."

⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎ drops his arm, and Dream doesn't know he has stopped breathing until his lungs are aching for oxygen. ⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎ turns around. His fist is clenched tightly around the base of the knife.

"Tell me, does it hurt?"

Dream stares at his ankle, and the silence is a good enough answer for ⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎.

"Don't worry, darling. I'll take care of George for you, make sure he won't hurt you again."

"Who are you?" Dream whimpers. ⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎'s body shakes a little as soft, eerie laughter fills the air.

"Me? Oh, darling."

⬧︎■︎♋︎◻︎ takes a step forward into the kitchen.

"I'm Snap."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some of yall saw it coming lmao
> 
> edit: if yall saw me fuck up haha no you didnt :)
> 
> look at the title


	7. in a hurry to die, are you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL THEN.
> 
> also blood and gore and stuff and kissing. unfortunately its inevitable for the plot so...im sorry about that :(

"Okay, wait—what." Something inside Dream snapped, and he began to laugh, confusing Sapnap (Snap?). Giggles escaped from his mouth as he doubled over, nearly falling backwards onto his ankle from the sharp pain that jolted through his leg. Snap's eyes widened and he nearly lunged to catch Dream, but Dream waved him off, catching himself instead. Wiping tears from his eyes, he shook his head in disbelief. "Oh. My. God. I'm losing it. I'm _actually_ losing it. This is all some sort of random-ass fever dream, isn't it? I've completely gone mad."

"Dream," Snap muttered lowly, but Dream ignored him, chortling to himself.

"No, no. I'm hallucinating, aren't I? The blood--the blood's not real. You're still Sapnap, aren't you?" Dream giggled, wiping his face with his bloodied hand--it wasn't even his blood, was it? "It feels real but it's not, right? Right?"

"Oh, Dream," Snap murmured, dropping the clean knife into the puddle of blood at his feet. His hands, stained in crimson, clasped around Dream's wrists, pulling his hands away from his face. The red glint in his eyes were still there, but they seemed to take on a softer and gentler look. "This is reality."

"No, no. There's gotta be some way for me to get out then, isn't there? There's some way, right? Right? _Right_? RIGHT!?" With each word Dream's voice rose higher, his laughter turning into despair and hopelessness. "Where's Sapnap!? I-I don't like this at all! Give him back!"

"Dream? What's going on?" George padded from around the corner, seemingly less subdued now that Snap was present. True to his name, Snap's head snapped towards George at an unnaturally quick speed, eyes wide as he saw the werewolf.

In one swift motion, Snap pulled out another clean knife ( _where is he even getting all of these knives from,_ Dream wondered) from nowhere, dashing quickly from where he had been standing in front of Dream to jab his knife at George, the werewolf rearing to _barely_ miss the blade by millimeters. Snap didn't hesitate at the failure, following up with a riposte and aiming the blade at George's heart, freezing the werewolf in place. 

"Don't move," Snap hissed, anger flaring up in his eyes. "Or else you die." George barely nodded, teeth bared in frustration. The sight of George being held at knifepoint was enough to break Dream free from his delusive state.

"Wait, wait! Let George go!" Dream waved his arms frantically, catching Snap's attention. "He's our friend; what the fuck!?"

"Correction: he's _Sapnap's_ friend...not mine." Snap twirled the knife easily in his hand, a smile playing on his lips. "Georgiee~Are you ready to die?"

 _Do something,_ George begged with his wolfish eyes, and Dream froze, unsure of what to do. George was on the verge of death, Sapnap--no, Snap--was about to kill him, and Bad-- _where even was he?_ And Finn—

"Shit!" Dream shuffled around for his phone, pulling it out only to see he hadn't gotten a single text nor call from Finn. _How much time had passed?_ At that point, Finn should have already made it back home. _Why hadn't he said anything?_ Dream's eyes darted over to where Sapnap was, staring at the blood dripping down his skin. He didn’t want to believe it, but... "Snap...did you kill—"

"Baby," Snap cooed out, and Dream's stomach twisted at the honey-laced word. "You should get used to this by now. I'll kill anyone for you, you know that right? _Anyone._ " As if to prove his point, he grazed George's neck, causing the wolf to howl in pain.

"Stop! Stop hurting George, _please,_ " Dream cried out, and Snap paused, turning around with a bloodstained grin on his face. Dream wanted to shrivel up and hide, but he couldn't leave George alone. "I'll do anything—just don't hurt him, please!"

"Anything?" Snap questioned, and Dream nodded quickly. George watched, maw slightly open in surprise.

Snap walked over to Dream, each footstep echoing through the apartment as blood tracks stained the wooden floor. Snap placed the knife in Dream's free hand, his smile dancing with malice. Dream shuddered as he drew closer, some of the blood on his face trailing down his cheeks like tears.

"Kill him for me," Snap murmured, whispering in Dream's ear.

"What!?" Dream nearly dropped the knife, but Snap grabbed his wrist, keeping him steady. A boisterous laugh escaped him as he threw his head back, face full of glee. Dream, utterly confused, watched him as his laughter only caused the tension to rise more. 

"You actually believed that? You poor, naive child. This is why I have to always be around you dear, so I can make sure you don't do something stupid." Snap's giggles haunted his ears. "No, no, don't kill George. I'll just do it myself. How about you kiss me instead?"

"Seriously?" Dream stared at Sapnap, anxiety pooling at the bottom of his stomach. Every bone in his body begged for him to run and hide, but he locked himself in place.

"Have you heard of a...mind break, sweetheart?" The pet name rolled off of Snap's tongue salaciously as he stepped closer, taking the knife from Dream's frozen hand. "It's what happens when people reach the point of no return from the deepest, loveliest delusions. It seems like a nightmare, but as you delve farther and farther it turns into a lovely high you just can't stop chasing after."

"What are you talking about?" Dream stammered, finding himself backed up against the wall.

"The magic George and Bad's genes hold all drive you to that point. You'll never get anywhere with them nearby you, coddling you like a little lost child. I've been watching you from inside Sapnap, and I know that you're smart and independent enough to never need them by your side. Instead, you'll be my mind break--the high I'll never stop chasing after myself." A howl erupted from his lips, Dream watching the macabre with mixed feelings in his stomach. He glanced over to George, begging for help with his eyes, and the shell-shocked wolf merely nodded at him, not giving him much of a clue anyway. 

"So...will you kiss me? Or will you leave your friend here to grovel at my mercy?" Snap's eeriely shrill tone rang in Dream's ears like a haunting melody. "Twenty seconds to decide."

 _THINK!_ Dream pressed his hands to his temples, assessing his situation in a hypertensive panic. Finn was probably dead--most likely killed by Snap, and Bad was still nowhere to be seen even though Dream was sure he was still in the apartment; Techno was still at the Starbucks with no guarantee he was even at the counter and Wilbur was probably away from home thanks to George's transformed state--not to mention they didn't have any other form of contact anyway. Snap was ready to kill George, the knife in his hand--Dream could try to jump him, but there was always the possibility that Snap could have more knives and it was already proven that he was incredibly deft and agile and would most likely sense him trying to jump him before he could even grab his arm. Not to mention he had no idea how powerful he was in this altered state, and there was also all the blood on the floor to worry about--

"Time's up!" Snap interrupted, the grin on his face becoming wider, and Dream's eyes widened. _No!_ "It seems like Georgie-poo here will have to say bye-bye~!"

"NO, NO, NO!" George howled in fear, and Dream made a split-second decision.

He lunged, tackling Snap from the side as Snap had brandished his weapon, the knife nearly impaling Dream by accident. As they slammed onto the slick floor the knife skittered out of Snap's right hand, stopping right in front of a shocked George. Snap writhed under Dream's sudden attack, but Dream cupped his face and smashed their lips together because at that point he was sure he had lost his mind already and he couldn't think of anything else that would be able to distract Snap from killing his friend.

Unlike his previous kiss with George, this kiss was much more messy and unpleasant. Snap at first stilled from surprise, before leaning into the kiss, reciprocating the gesture. As Dream gripped Snap's hair to keep him down, he tasted the metallic flavor of blood as it stained his lips in a way that he knew washing off wouldn't do a thing to remove the twisted knot in his gut. He could feel Snap relax under his grip, considerably much more docile than before.

The whole thing felt utterly disgusting and Dream got off of Snap, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he rushed over to George, shaking the area where his shoulder had once been. "You okay!?"

"I--your lip, Dream," George murmured, as the wolf attempted to wipe the blood off of his lips. Dream waved him off, remembering what Wilbur had told him. "It's okay, don't worry about me...I'm just glad you're alright."

"Dream...?" A hoarse voice croaked out from behind them, and Dream turned around to face Snap. As he stepped closer, ever wary than before, he was relieved to see the familiar chocolate color of Sapnap's eyes. It was such a relief in comparison to Snap that Dream nearly forgot about the blood all over his apartment.

"Oh my god, thank god its you," Dream gasped in relief. Tears welled up in his eyes as all the anxiety and fear rushed over him, overwhelming his emotions.

"...Did I kill someone again?" Sapnap glanced over at George. "Oh, you're still alive. I guess not." He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he looked all around the room. "That's a lot of blood...whose was it?"

"Oh my god." Dream grabbed his phone from where he had dropped it when jumping Snap, immediately dialing Finn's number. After a couple of tense rings, it went to the voicemail, and Dream's heart sunk at the reality. "Did you kill Finn?"

"If I did, I don't remember." Sapnap's eyes flickered down to Dream's ankle. "You need a bandage for that."

"What I need is a shower, a trip to the mental hospital, and all this blood gone," Dream retorted bitterly.

"Is--Is he gone?" Bad poked his head out from behind the doorway, and Dream whirled around immediately.

"Bad, where the FUCK were you!?" Dream yelled, slamming his phone on the table.

"Eep! Don't kill me you muffinhead! Snap would have held me at knifepoint too if I intervened. It was like he already knew where I was. I was hiding in the kitchen." Bad trembled, and Dream's anger subsided.

"Hmmm...then you guys can do me a favor and clean up Finn's blood, right? Because I don't think I can stay in here right now," Dream muttered, and he began to march towards the shower.

"Dream, I-" Sapnap reached out to him, but Dream held his hand up, glaring at his friend.

"We need to talk tomorrow."

_______

"Ugh." Even after having brushed his teeth ten times, he could still feel the taste of blood on his lips and teeth. The shower had already been miserable enough with him trying to scrape off the blood, but at least his friends were kind enough to help him clean the room and get the laundry done. Even though the sun was rising Dream had asked to be left alone for the rest of the day, not wanting to interact with them after everything that had happened.

It had turned out George and Wilbur were right about Sapnap in the end, though from the way Dream interacted with him he was still a bit skeptical about his personality. It seemed as if Snap was some sort of inner demon inside of Sapnap himself, feeding off of his desires and turning them into something darker--he knew now Sapnap also saw him in a romantic light, but the sheer contrast of the vision of Sapnap and the vision of Snap was more polar than fire and water. He needed more answers, especially about the magic and stuff, and he needed to get back home before he would have to witness someone die.

There was a rapid tap on his window, and Dream glanced over to see Techno hanging from the windowsill, having climbed up from the bottom again. Dream sighed--why couldn't he have peace and quiet for once?--and opened the window, letting him in. "Hey."

"Hi," Techno replied, and once Dream closed the window, he burst into tears, crying in front of him. Dream was taken aback at fhe sudden shift in mood, but he reached out anyway, giving the brunette a hug.

"There, there," Dream murmured. "What's wrong?"

"This is all just so--ugh, I hate crying. This is so overwhelming...I'm worried that you'll end up like him, you know." Techno tried to wipe his eyes, tears dripping from his cheeks. "I'm scared I'm going to die. I'm scared _you're_ going to die."

"Me too..." Dream muttered. Never in his life he thought he would be worried for a stranger that had flirted with him at Starbucks and then turned out to be one of his biggest keys to getting out, but here he was. "I just want everything to go back to normal."

"Same." Wilbur popped up from the closet in his humanoid form, tail hung down in grief as he joined in their mini group hug. "Finn...he didn't deserve this."

"Do you guys think I'll be able to get out? I mean, you're helping me, so that means it's entirely possible, but I'm losing hope," Dream cried out despairingly.

Wilbur and Techno glanced at each other, thinking for a moment before chorusing "Of course."

"But how? I mean, you guys can't tell me anything...you can only observe..." Dream frowned as confusion overtook his mind, and he detached himself from the hug. "Wait, what? That didn't make any sense at all."

"The reality is warping your mind again...Goddamnit." Techno glanced out at the rising sun, before sitting down on Dream's bed. "You're in trouble, Dream. We need to get you out before you lose it."

 _The mind break,_ Dream recalled.

"Alright, sit down and get comfy. I know what's up with your friends," Wilbur ordered. "You'll need to listen carefully. After all, this is crucial information."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY WE'RE HOLDING A Q&A WITH US AUTHORS AND CHARACTERS! CommenT DOWN QUESTIONS FOR THE CHARACTERS AND WE'LL ANSWER THEM IN A BONUS CHAPTER NEXT
> 
> ask all of us anything! heres some examples:  
> -dream  
> -george  
> -bad  
> -sapnap  
> -snap  
> -techno  
> -wilbur/patches  
> -finn  
> -cordeliasept  
> -isleofdreams
> 
> EDIT: THE Q&A IS CLOSED, THANKS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSES!


	8. AAAAND CUT (QnA)

Isle: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the QnA! For those of you who’ve put out questions: thank you guys so much, we really appreciate it. For everyone in general: thank you so much for the huge support on this book! Literally, we look forward to your comments and interaction :)

Cordelia: Ayo, wassup y’all! It’s your fellow authors Isle and Cordelia here, glad y’all could make it. Take a seat, grab some popcorn and water, and let’s get started! By the way, thanks for supporting us in this book! We love seeing your comments and we thank you for interacting with us. Feel free to check out our non-crackhead fics as well :D

Cordelia: Isle will be doing Dream, George, Wilbur, Finn, and herself. I’ll be doing Bad, Sapnap, Snap, Techno, and myself!

Isle: Without further ado, here’s the QnA!

\-----------  
Isle: So, Dream. Here’s your first question. 

Dream: Oh?

Isle: It’s actually more of a request from Kov: ‘Can I hug you please?? You’ve had such a rough time :(‘

Dream: How did you manage to put a sad face in words?

Isle: Don’t question it.

Dream: Sure. Also, Kov, come here.

*Dream engulfs Kov in a soul crushing hug (or the other way round, actually) and chuckles*

Dream: Thanks for that. I really needed it.

Isle: Well that was wholesome. Next question’s from Blanc_et_Noir: how does it f e e l to see your best friends at each other’s throats while also pining for you?

Dream: uhh… I don’t know, I kinda feel a little sad, because obviously, I never knew they had feelings for me until this entire… shenanigans happened. I just wished they’d stop fighting, because I don’t think I’m worth fighting over. 

Isle: Yikes dude, I’m sorry. 

Dream: It’s aight. What’s the next question?

Isle: Well, it’s from Chim chim. Two questions actually, but we’ll do it one by one. First one: What do you think of Sapnap?

Dream: I think he’s a pretty cool guy, quite laid back. Never thought he’d have feelings for me, but hey, every day’s a surprise. Love him

Isle: That’s nice. The other question: If you could be George, Bad or Sap, who would it be and why?

Dream: heh… I’ve never really thought about this. To be fair, I’d rather be myself, but if I really have to choose I’d go for George. Imagine shifting into a werewolf… that’s pretty cool. I don’t think I can handle not being able to step into the sun, since I’m a pretty active guy-

Isle: Clumsy, too

Dream: Shut up. And as for Sapnap, I don’t think I can see myself physically murder anyone, even though I do sound a little psychotic when I do Manhunts with my friends.

Isle: You sure ‘bout that?

*Dream glares, but Isle ignores it*

Isle: Final question for you, and I’ll let you go :) 

Dream: I don’t like the look of that smiley face

Isle: Okay neon green block man. The question is from anatrocity: So, Dream, what’s it like to be in all of Wattpad itself for once? Did your eye/hair colour get more quirky or anything like that?

Dream: *laughs* my god, imagine if I suddenly have streaks of white hair or like… blue and green eyes. To answer that, no, my features didn’t get aLl qUirKy, it’s still the same. Nothing’s changed, actually

*Isle tries to raise an eyebrow at that statement, but fails horribly*

Dream: Also… heh, what’s Wattpad I- *saved stories come tumbling out of his pockets* ah fuck wait sorry I- *paid ads rolls out of his jeans* wait, gimme a sec- *only two offline books are allowed to be read peeks out from his hoodie* Isle, stop it! *ugly orange spills across the floor*

Isle: okay, okay I’ll stop. God, that was funny. Anyways, thank you so much for joining us, Dream!

Dream: you’re welcome! I hope they were the answers you wanted. Byee

Isle: bye Dream, see you in your dreams.

Dream: what-

*Dream teleports away. Isle sighs and hydrates herself before teleporting George back in*

Isle: Alright, George, welcome to the QnA! Can you, possibly for a moment, shift back to your human form so that I don’t have tufts of fur in my face?

George: oh sorry

*George switches back to human form, and sits on the chair*

Isle: Thank you :) There’s multiple questions from Kov, actually, but here’s your first: Were you born as a werewolf, or did you have the stereotypical ‘get bitten’ thing happen to you? 

George: ooh, interesting question. I wasn’t actually ‘bitten’, per se. It’s more of a-

*No words come out of George’s mouth as he tries to spit it out, and after a few moments, he sighs in defeat*

George: Sorry, I- I can’t say it out, but it has something to do with Dream… 

Isle: it’s alright. Onto the next question: Why do you hate vampires so much (or is it just Bad)?

George, looking confused: Did I say that I hate vampires? 

Isle: I dunno

George: You’re the author.

Isle: doesn’t mean I remember

George, sighing: fine. I don’t dislike vampires, I think it’s just Bad. Rivalry and all that, y’know? I gotta emerge as the victor.

Isle: well…. Oh-kay! Another one: Sapnap mentioned that your fur is magic-infused, so what kind of effects does it have?

George: huh. Well, the magic allows Dream to feel closer to me? Like, emotionally and all, he’d be more connected to me, and he’d feel more safe around me. So the more magic, the more Dream trusts me, the more he’ll love me

Isle: isn’t that kinda toxic?

George: you literally wrote me like this

Isle: ...true

George: Don’t know if this is related to the magic thing at all, but Patches doesn’t like me anymore :(

Isle: I’m sorry for your loss, but next question: When and why did you start falling in love with Dream?

George: boy, where do I start? I don’t know when i actually fell for him, I’m gonna be honest, but I remembered the day when I realised I liked him more than a friend. It’s scary, and it felt like a mistake, so for the next few days I just… didn’t get out of bed at all. I kept trying to convince myself to not fall for him, but the more I thought of him, the more I spiralled.

Isle: It’s like a rabbit hole thing

George: yeah. I just… couldn’t get over it, I guess. I dodged those feelings for a very long time, but as soon as I realised there’s no way I could get over them, I just let it manifest. No point in beating myself over.

George: what’s the second part again?

Isle: why did you start falling in love with Dream?

George: give me one reason why not to

Isle: that’s good, but answer the question, please

George: fine. He’s just… I don’t know how to put this in words, argh! I… he’s just… he’s there for you, y’know? When you need him the most, he has your back, and he’s courageous, and smart, and reliable, not to mention kind, charming… you get what I mean? He’s just all the things that I’m not

Isle: I’m pretty sure you have your own strengths too

George: I don’t know, he’s just like an angel, a godsent from heaven

Isle: I can see that. Next question is from Blanc_et_Noir: Why exactly are you scared of Sapnap or well… Snap? What happened to deepen your fear?

George: Have you seen him? He literally kills with no hesitation at all, no mercy in his eyes. He’d literally kill his own friends just to get what he wants! He’s basically a psychopath! 

Isle: he’s still your friend

George: well, yeah, because I never knew there was this part of him that’s capable of doing that! 

Isle: did anything happen that caused you to be more scared?

George: well, he tried to kill me just because I accidentally hurt Dream, so there’s that. 

George: but it’s mainly because how he just… he’s able to not show any remorse when he kills. He’s willing to do _anything_ to get Dream. He’s willing to take down anyone that’s in his way, even his closest friends. I mean, sure, Bad and I love Dream, but not… not to that extent, y’know?

George: Literally the Juggernaut video is a glimpse of Snap… and if you think he’s scary, you’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.

Isle: man that’s… that’s chilling. Anyways, that’s all the questions they have for you!

George: well, thanks for having me here.

Isle: thank you for answering, too :) see you soon, Georgie!

George: byee!

*George waves as he teleports away*

\--------------------  
Cordelia: Alright, sit down Sapnap, its question and answer time.

Sapnap: Can I go now?

Cordelia: Absolutely not. Just answer some questions and you’ll be fine. Alright, first one’s from Kov: When did you first realize Snap was within you? Why are you so okay with Snap killing people? When did you realize you loved Dream, and why do you love him?

Sapnap: Oh gee, that’s a lot buddy. Personally, I feel like Snap’s always been there...just he wasn’t so prominent when I was younger, I guess. I’d like to think of him and I as one and the same, so him killing people is pretty much me killing people. At some point I was more adverse to it, but I gave up eventually because people would just think I was delusional. As for Dream loving me… 

*Sapnap sighs, a dreamy look coming over his face as Cordelia waits patiently*

Sapnap: I guess only a little after I met him I realized I’d be content with being with him for the rest of my life. He’s a loyal guy; he always cares for other people and especially for us, and would probably destroy the world if it meant saving us. I love that about him the most, but there’s more traits that I don’t wanna delve into because it would take forever.

Cordelia: Wow, those were some detailed answers...okay then! Next up, from Blanc_et_Noir: What would you do if Dream ends up being terrified of you? Would you keep him or just let him go?

Sapnap: Dream terrified of me…? Well, there was the juggernaut video—naturally, in that case, I wouldn’t be able to let him go. In real life, though? It would be more difficult, but my choice is still the same—after all, can’t have him running to the police to tell them about Finn, can I?

Cordelia: Finn… *sobs* Anyways, next question; Chim Chim asked “Could you be one of those people possessed by a demon that could be ridded of?”

Sapnap: Are you referring to Snap here?

Cordelia: Probably. What’s that supposed to imply?

Sapnap: No, no, it’s nothing. Snap’s not a demon; we’re pretty much the same person. Offing him would be the same as killing myself, which I don’t plan to do anytime soon.

Cordelia: …*eyes him suspiciously* Be glad we’re not making you a vessel or something.

Sapnap: Oh, trust me. Demons can’t touch this.

Cordelia: Yeah, yeah. That’s all, if I recall correctly.

Sapnap: So can I go now?

Cordelia: Technically speaking, yes. We’re going to question Snap next, so it would be great if you could get him out.

Sapnap: And you’re going to bet that he’s not going to kill you at first sight?

Cordelia: Look, I’ve devoted my life to some blue-haired 2D Fire Emblem protagonist. I ain’t going for Dream ever. Besides, I have author armor.

Sapnap: Fine. But how are you going to—

Cordelia: George just kissed Dream.

*Sapnap’s eyes widen, and his eye color changes from brown to red as his face contorts in rage*

Snap: Where. _WHERE IS HE!?_

Cordelia: Snap, sit down. It was a lie. George is being questioned by Isle right now; Dream’s fine. I just need you to answer some questions.

Snap: No...no, I need to get to Dream and make sure he’s alright!

Cordelia: Gee, do I have to actually show you his face or something? *she snaps her fingers, and Dream materializes into the room, confused*

Dream: What—

Cordelia: There. He’s fine, okay? Sorry Dream, I’ll teleport you away. *snaps her fingers again, and Dream disappears as soon as he came*

Snap: ...Fine. Now that I know he’s okay, I’ll answer your stupid questions.

Cordelia: Kov asked: Why do you see yourself as something other than mortal (Are you something other than mortal)? How did you manifest from Sapnap’s love for Dream? Why do you love Dream, and why are you willing to go so far for him?

Snap: What is this, an interview? And how did you even say those parentheses out loud?

Cordelia: Look, don’t question my power.

Snap: I can’t believe I’m wasting time on this. I’m just Sapnap’s alter ego, though I guess he doesn’t think of me the same way. I’m the creation of his mind break, if that’s what you were looking for—he didn’t realize it at first, but over time he just wanted Dream to be his forever...oh, Dream. I love Dream for mostly the same reasons Sapnap loves him—we’re both the same, after all. When one reaches a mind break, anything is limitless. I’d do anything to make sure Dream is mine. I have no limits, anyways—

Cordelia: Okay, that’s enough!

Snap: How dare you—

Cordelia: Shut up. Next question, from Blanc_et_Noir: What's it feel like to see the love of your life terrified of you? :)

Snap: Terrified? He’s not terrified. He’s just...surprised, I guess. Sooner or later he’ll realize how much I love him and will accept my feelings. He has to!

Cordelia: *mutters* Father Sky, he’s off his rocker.

Snap: What did you just say?

Cordelia: Nothing. Anyways, that’s the last of the questions. It would be great if you could just go back to being Sapnap now—

Snap: No. I’m leaving.

Cordelia: Jeez. Okay. Fine, bye!

*She snaps (no pun intended) her fingers and Snap disappears*

\-----------

Cordelia: Hey Bad! Glad you could make it.

Bad: Of course! You said there were questions for me?

Cordelia: Yeah, are you ready to answer them?

Bad: Yep!

Cordelia: Okay, first from Kov: Were you born a vampire or did you also have to get bitten? What’s your thing against werewolves (or is it just George)? Sapnap also mentioned your magic, how does it work? When and why did you start falling in love with Dream?

Bad: Oh, actually I— *He stops, his mouth moving but no noise coming out. He coughs, trying again to no avail, before shaking his head* Sorry, I just...can’t seem to say it? I can’t answer the first question, sorry about that.

Cordelia: No worries, you alright?

Bad: I’m fine! As for the werewolves, I actually have nothing against them! George and I just have this rivalry because we both love Dream. About my magic, it’s a lot like George’s actually—it’s meant to make Dream feel safe and comfortable and loved. If I make contact with my fangs and his blood, that’s how the magic flows. I mean, there might be other ways, but I haven’t considered doing them.

Cordelia: *whistles* Okay...whew. 

Bad: *indignantly* What!?

Cordelia: No, nothing. What about the third question?

Bad: Oh, my bad! Well...I used to just see Dream as a friend, you know. But over time I started noticing all these little things about him, and you know...I kinda just spiraled into a rabbit hole. It didn’t exactly help that my vampire instincts seemed to flare up whenever he was around. It’s almost like we were meant to be...

Cordelia: ...Okayyyyyyyyy. Next, from Blanc_et_Noir: How does it feel to drink the blood of the love of your life? HAHHAHAH

Bad: That was...a pretty loud laugh.

Cordelia: Thanks?

Bad: Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. As for drinking his blood...it was amazing, and that’s an understatement. His blood is very sweet; it’s almost like honey flavor-wise and I love sweets so...yeah. Very addicting. Wouldn’t mind drinking it for the rest of my life—though I have to be careful because I don’t wanna hurt him too much...I love him and want him to be happy and healthy for his blood to be in top condition as well.

Cordelia: That was awfully descriptive. Okay, thanks. That’s all for your questions!

Bad: That fast? Awh :( Okay, thanks everyone for asking me these questions!

Cordelia: Thank you Bad, for coming! See ya!

Bad: Byeeeeeeee!

*Cordelias snaps her fingers and Bad disappears*

\-----------

Techno: I’m ready to answer some questions.

Cordelia: Glad you are, bro. First up, from Kov: How did you end up in this—actually, no, you can’t answer that question.

Techno: What? You didn’t even finish what you were—

Cordelia: Anyways! How do you know so much about—Wait, you can’t answer this either! Father Sky damnit!

Techno: Bruh. Bruhhhhhhhh.

Cordelia: I’m sorry! Here, this one you can answer: Can I give you a hug for helping Dream so much?

Techno: Uh...I’m not much of a hugger, but sure?

*Cordelia snaps Kov into existence, and Techno gives Kov a brisk and tight hug before Cordelia snaps Kov out of existence again*

Cordelia: Next, from Blanc_et_Noir: You're probably the only sane one here other than Wilbur, How does that make you feel?

Techno: I mean, Dream’s still sane...for now.

Cordelia: That was super ominous dude—

Techno: Yeah, I know. I mean, being surrounded by brainless people is pretty normal. These guys, though, they give me the creeps. Nah. I’m not really liking it here. But Wilbur makes it bearable.

Cordelia: That’s fair...I just had to make sure Snap didn’t go kill George a while ago.

Techno: Eugh. I’m sorry, man.

Cordelia: It’s no biggie. Next, from Chim chim: Say Sapnap didn’t kill Finn. Who out of the three would you choose to spend a day with if you were in Dream’s place?

Techno: Well...personally, I would like to choose none of them, but Bad seems the most reasonable out of the three. Seeing he doesn’t have the hots for anyone other than Dream, he’s pretty lax otherwise. I don’t like Dream like that.

Cordelia: Fair. Finally, from PartyCasade: Does Techno work at Starbucks or is he just a customer?

Techno: Well, when I was first checking on Dream, I was a customer. Soon after though, I—*he chokes, coughing, and shakes his head* I can’t say it, but I became a worker after.

Cordelia: Yeah...too bad I don’t like Starbucks.

Techno: *raises eyebrows* Really?

Cordelia: Yeah. Cake pops are the only reason I go. That’s it, by the way.

Techno: Well, thanks for having me.

Cordelia: No problem, bro. See you around!

Techno: Adios.

*Cordelia snaps her fingers and Techno disappears*

\---------------

Isle: hello, Wilbur, how you doing today?

Wilbur: well I’m great, thanks for asking :)

Isle: alright, so the first question for you is from Kov. actually, they’ve got multiple questions, so we’ll get through them one by one. First question: How did you end up in this reality with Dream?

Wilbur: well, uh, I won’t say ‘this reality’ per se-

Isle, interrupting Wilbur: well that’s all for that question!

Wilbur: dude I’m not done-

Isle: yes you are :)) next question: How do you know so much about everything that’s going on?

Wilbur: it’s mainly from Techno, to be honest. That man literally knows so many things

Isle: i see. Why did you pretend to be Patches for so damn long?

Wilbur: look, alright, Patches is a stupid fucking name to call a cat, and it pains me everytime Dream calls me that. I swear, it’s as if he’s killing me, resurrecting me, only to kill me again. And I did _not_ pretend to be Patches, god. Why do you guys think I want to be Patches, out of all the animals I could’ve chosen?

Isle: jeez… chill out a little. Here’s a request I think you need from Kov: Can I give you a hug for helping Dream so much?

Wilbur: of course. Here.

*Wilbur reaches out for Kov and pulls them in for a hug, wrapping his arms around them. His tail curls around Kov a little as he rubs his head against Kov’s, a sign of trust*

Isle: that’s sweet. 

Wilbur: what can I say, they’re great

Isle: indeed. Next question is from Blanc_et_Noir: Do you like Bad, Sapnap and George’s personality? Also, do you care for Dream?

Wilbur: I’m gonna be honest, I don't mind Bad at all. He’s pretty chill, a nice guy in general, but when he’s around Dream I get a little nervous. 

Wilbur: Sapnap on the other hand… I don’t like him at all. He’s a little… odd, too twitchy for my liking. When he’s around knives? Yeah, that makes me nervous

Wilbur: I fucking hate George. 

Isle: uhh… care to elaborate?

Wilbur: we just.. We just don’t vibe, y’know? Polar opposites and stuff. His magic annoys me, and our… scents just clash, I guess. I hate it when he’s around Dream, because that means Dream smells like him too, and I can’t hug him :(

Isle: The other question?

Wilbur: oh right. Yes, of course I care for Dream, why’d you think otherwise? We literally spend so much time together, and based on current circumstances, of course I wish I have a way to protect him from the… simps

Isle: did you just-

Wilbur: yes I did, and what about it?

Isle: can’t argue with that. Here’s a question from Chim chim: say Sapnap didn’t kill Finn. Who out of the three would you choose to spend a day with if you were in Dream’s place?

Wilbur: that’s a hard one to answer. Does that mean their magic won’t interfere with my vibes?

Isle: I guess?

Wilbur: If their magic doesn’t affect me, I’d say I would spend my day with Bad. He’s the most laid back out of the two, plus I think it’s easier to strike a conversation with him. George is second place, since he’s kind of chill… sorry Sapnap

Isle: interesting. Any reason why?

Wilbur: dunno.

Isle: alright then. Final question from PartyCasade: were you always Patches or did you just become Patches when going into this reality?

Wilbur: stop calling me Patches-

Isle: it’s literally in the question.

Wilbur, groaning: fine. As I said before, it’s not a ‘this reality’ thing, but I can’t go much into detail because-

Isle: time’s up! Thank you, Wilbur

Wilbur: see, this is what I’m talking about. 

Isle: sorry, dude. Plot purposes.

Wilbur: understandable. Anyways, I hope you got what you wanted to hear. Bye!

Isle: see ya soon, Patches

Wilbur: I swear to fucking god-

*Wilbur is teleported away before he can complete his sentence*

\------------  
Isle: hello, Finn!

Finn: hello! Why am I here?

Isle: QnA :)) First question is from Kov. Actually, more of a request: Dude, can I just give you and your dog hugs, man?

Finn: aww sure!

*Finn wraps his arm around Kov, Skeppy sandwiched in the middle of the hug. Despite being trapped, Skeppy still barks and wags his tail excitedly, and licks Kov’s face*

Isle, petting Skeppy: that’s sweet! Next question is from Blanc_et_Noir: How’s it feel to die? (jkjk)

Finn: oh, uh... painful? Like… I didn’t expect myself to die this quickly, y’know?

*Isle whispers something under her breath*

Finn: what??

Isle: nothing. Continue

Finn: So I thought that I still had more time to do stuff, and I guess I felt regret, too. I never even got the chance to say goodbye…

Isle: I’m sorry :( maybe this next request might help you: Can I give you a hug? This whole thing must’ve been a real doozy for you…

Finn: Of course! I love hugs!

*Finn pulls Blanc_et_Noir in and gives them a bone-crushing hug, while the latter returns the favour*

Finn: Thank you. I kinda needed that

Isle: alright, last question before we go, and it’s from angry_tommy: what were your last words >:)

Finn: please don’t look into my closet

Isle: what do you have in your closet?

Finn: nothing please-

*Isle reaches over and opens Finn’s closet. Inside, multiple fanfictions come tumbling out, as well as a few Skeppy photos*

Isle: …

Finn: ... 

Isle, laughing nervously: Well, that's a good note to end on.

Finn, also ignoring the fanfictions: Yeah, I needed those emotional support :) thank you everyone!

Isle: bye! Have fun in the afterlife!

Finn: Thank you <3

*Finn disappears with Skeppy, and the last thing you hear are dog barks*

\-----------  
Isle: so…. Next person is….

Isle: oh, it’s me. Y’all have questions for me???? Bruh I-

Isle: okay, well, here goes nothing. First question is from Kov: CAN YOU PLEASE WRITE ME INTO EXISTENCE HUGGING THE GOOD BOIS?!

Isle, chuckling: of course, my dude. 

*Isle teleports everyone into the room, and even though Finn and Skeppy are (kind of) translucent, they stare at Isle with confused gazes*

Isle: Kov wants to hug you guys. Are y’all okay with this?

*Loud murmur of agreements fill in the silence*

Dream: oh I remember them! 

Isle: so, you guys ready?

*Without further ado, Isle teleports Kov into the room. Immediately, everyone envelopes them in a big, warm hug. Isle merely sits in the background, a small smile on her face as she sips on water (hydrate yourselves, kids). She decides to take a photo to commemorate it*

Isle: You guys are great. Well, I hope that’s sufficient, Kov. Say bye!

*Everyone waves goodbye, and Wilbur sings it out loud as Kov gets teleported away*

Isle: alright, see you guys soon, too

*Isle teleports everyone away*

Isle: That was cute. Next question from Blanc_et_Noir. Damn, actually there’s multiple questions, lemme split them up. First question: How does it feel to have your readers at the edge of their seats, basically theorizing every little thing to kingdom come?

Isle: It’s actually pretty fun heh, if I do say so myself. As a writer, I love to make it so that the readers are invested in the story, and get them hooked up and captivated. That, for me, is the thrill of writing I’ve always enjoyed, because if the readers don’t enjoy your work, what’s the point, y’know? 

Isle: I think the most successful writers are the ones that allow the readers to teleport into the world you build with words and letters, letting them envision it. It’s pretty cool, y’know, how writing gives you an escape from reality. And for readers to be on the edge of their seats, theorizing things? God, I love it.

Isle, chuckling: well, enough said about that. I could go on into a full on rant, but I doubt you’d like it. The next question is: I’ve seen some pretty long comments, how does that make you feel?

Isle: long comments make me feel amazing, dude! I love long comments (though short ones are fine too. Actually, any comments will literally make my day). The long comments I’ve seen are mainly theories of this, which, I fucking love to read, my dude. It’s like, I don’t know, it allows me to interact better with you guys, I’d say. 

Isle: it’s an honour too, to receive a long comment. I literally look forward to that

Isle: Next question: Also, if you two work on separate chapters- does that mean you work on your chapter the moment the previous chapter is published or do you both discuss things beforehand and have prewritten chapters? (asking as a fellow writer)

Isle: actually, it goes like this: the moment Cordelia publishes a chapter, I read it, then I scream a little at her (due to plot twists that even I did not expect. See: chapter 3) and I try to process what’s going on. Usually I don’t work on the next chapter immediately, simply because I need time to process and think of how to connect it, plus it gives me more time to figure out what to include

Isle: we actually do discuss things beforehand, especially when we suddenly have ideas that might work and fit in the story (spoiler: we already have the ending planned). As for prewriting chapters, no. I like the fact that I have no idea absolutely what’s about to come in the next chapter, because Cordelia likes to include twists that even I myself cannot comprehend (see again: chapter 3)

Isle: though she did kinda gave me hints lmfao by asking whether Patches is a girl or not and asked about Wilbur

Isle: onto the next one: Lastly, who’s your favourite character so far?

Isle: man, this is hard. Hmm… Techno? He’s pretty fun to write, with his deadpan voice and jumping out of the window stuff. Snap’s another fun character to write, mainly because of the yandere vibes that can send chills down your spine, and I love writing those heh

Isle: not to offend the other characters, though. I like writing George’s werewolf scene too. Trippy, but fun. Definitely worth it to sacrifice my internet search history 

Isle: Alrighty, questions from Alestr: I feel like Techno is going to die at the end of the story lol. Is he going to?

*Isle chuckles darkly as the room begins to dim. Afterwards, as the room brightens again, nothing seems to be wrong. She clears her throat*

Isle: A question from Alestr: How long will this story approximately be?

Isle: to be fair, Cordelia and I don’t… really plan out how long it’s gonna go, though I’d say we’re nearing/at the climax now. So, doing the math, I’d say we have seven to eight more chapters to go? But it depends, of course, on how much we write for each chapter. 

Isle: usually I try to write as much as I can and find a good way to end it (eg Snap’s appearance). I write it in like… one sitting, so it’s kind of like three hours just sitting and staring at Google Docs while trying to not lose your sanity. I’m pretty sure Cordelia writes in separate sittings

Isle, mumbling: I should really start doing that lmao

*Isle flips her cue cards, but it’s the last one. She smiles, and throws it carelessly, letting it flutter to the ground and disappear*

Isle: that is all for the QnA :D it was tons of fun to write, and seriously, thank you guys so much for the support on this book (literally it’s insane). I’ll try my best to keep chapter 8 coming, so keep your eyes peeled for that 

Isle: well, see you guys in the next chapter. Do check out Cordelia and I’s individual works as well! Goodbye!  
\-----------

Cordelia: Well...seems like the remaining questions are aimed at both me and Isle. Time to read some of these...thanks for giving me questions you guys *sheds a tear*

Cordelia: Alright, since Kov already got their hugs I’m going to move to the next one. Gee, you wrote a lot, Blanc_et_Noir: How does it feel to have your readers at the edge of their seats, basically theorizing every little thing to come? I've seen some pretty long comments, how does that make you feel? Also, if you two work on separate chapters- does that mean you work on your chapter the moment the previous chapter is published or do you both discuss things beforehand and have prewritten chapters? (asking as a fellow writer) Lastly, who's your favorite character so far?

Cordelia: Well...I’m honestly not that surprised this fic blew up like it did, but I’m still surprised by the long comments we get on it. It’s really cool to see people take crack seriously like we do. The long comments are always the best highlight for me; they show that people are actually reading our fics and love them to the point where they’re willing to write an essay’s worth of a comment. Makes me very happy, to say the least. As for chapter planning, we alternate chapters. We kinda plan the events as we go but sometimes we throw each other a curveball without telling them (i.e, when I made Wilbur Patches and Isle lost her mind), and we have a basic structure of the overall general plot. Otherwise, the chapters themselves are free game. We never prewrite the chapters. My favorite character has got to be Snap; he’s the most fun to write because he has no limits with his morals. I always like to keep that in mind.

Cordelia: Next up, from Alestr: Snap/Sapnap went back to normal after Dream kissed him. Does that mean that if Dream keeps giving Sapnap affection, he will keep Snap at bay? I feel like Techno is going to die at the end of the story lol. Is he going to? How long will this story approximately be?

Cordelia: Well...you’ll have to wait and see for the first two...can’t give away all of our secrets yet, huh? *lip curls* As for the story length...I have no clue. Isle was thinking around less than 10 chapters left, but if you guys are reading A Dais at Daybreak you know I tend to stretch out events (psst: check it out!) and it might end up being more than that. Either way, it’s not our main projects, so no clue.

Cordelia: And...seems like that’s it, huh? Well, gotta get back to writing and doing some more art. (Psst: check me out on twitter too, where I post art. You can find it on my AO3 profile.) See you guys! Thanks for sticking by us!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> read carefully :)
> 
> ps: we may or may not be doing another qna at the end of this entire book :)))


	9. they kalm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one sitting again
> 
> also apologies for not updating kshfjskfdf i was busy with my schoolwork and one of my oneshot that's overdue yikes
> 
> anyways, quite a chill (and short) chapter. enjoy!

“So,” Wilbur takes in a deep breath, his ears twitching. “Your friends, they’re-”

“Cursed,” Techno cuts in before the feline is able to finish his sentence, and the latter glares. “Your friends are under a curse, Dream.”

Dream merely stares at the duo, his mouth suddenly dry. He shakes his head as he collapses onto his bed. “No, that couldn’t be happening, could it? I mean, I-”

“Dream! Get it together, dude,” Techno snaps, and the previous fragile side of him disappeared, replaced by something more ferocious. “George is a fucking werewolf, and Bad is some sort of a vampire, while Sapnap has gone crazy. Literally this is some… some weird fanfiction shit.”

“What if it is?” Wilbur suggests, a coy smile on his face. “What if, somehow, we’re all sucked into this because two bored teenagers decided that it’d be great to sit down and write one?” Then, he winks at the closet, confusing Dream. 

“We’re going off topic, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, Dream, they’re under a curse, and you’re the only one who can break it.” 

Dream sits at the bedside, his fingers trembling. “But- but how? I’m not some, like, I’m not some kind of stupid key or something. Hell, I-”

“Do you seriously not see it?” Scowling, Wilbur hops onto the bed, and Dream feels the mattress dip at the additional weight. “Think! There’s a similarity between all of them. You’re smarter than this.”  


“...They’re Youtubers?”

Techno slaps himself, and Wilbur looks really close to either clawing the shit out of Dream, or killing Dream altogether. 

“No! You- God, Wilbur, how do you deal with this?” Techno sighs, while Wilbur shrugs.

“I don’t. I’m not even Patches for a long time-”

“They all like me?” Dream asks, and both Wilbur and Techno screams in delight, almost bursting Dream’s eardrums. “But I don’t see how-”

“Okay, storytime. Techno, tell him what you told me,” Wilbur sits up straight, his tail flicking in interest as Techno fluffs up Dream’s pillow. He then leans against the headboard, and when Dream opens his mouth to protest, Techno cuts him off. 

“Alright, so. Where should I start?”

\---  
It all started when George fell for Dream. 

At first, George thought it was all platonic, that it was normal. The way his heart fluttered as Dream spoke, the way there were butterflies when Dream had laughed at one of his stupid jokes, the way his head seemed to be clouded with nothing but Dream, Dream, _Dream_ as he fell asleep. It was normal, because they were best friends, and best friends are supposed to feel like that.

Until the realisation hit him on one cold, September night, when he had gone out for dinner. As he sat in the booth, he noticed a couple sitting near him, laughing and enjoying themselves. He noticed how they seemed to be lost in their own world, and his heart ached as he wished for him and Dream to be that way.

And _wait, what the fuck?_

George’s entire body froze, the profound realisation causing him to malfunction a little. As the waitress set his pizza down in front of him, he could only stare at the steam rising from his food, his appetite gone. 

Paying for his pizza, he decided to head home. As the cold breeze nipped at his skin, he shivered, holding himself tighter, trying to comfort himself physically and emotionally. His head was a hurricane as thoughts whirled around, creating a whirlpool of emotions that he was not ready to deal with. 

He looked up at the dark sky. The moon hung brightly in the sky, full and round and proud, and George felt a little jealous at her content state as the stars teased him of his feelings. He swatted his thoughts away, and pulled his jacket tighter around him, quickening his pace.

As he reached home, he decided to confide in Sapnap and Bad. The trio hopped into a call together. 

“George, you okay?” Bad had asked, concern evident in his voice. George shook his head, a muffled whimper rising from the back of his throat. “You can talk about it if you want.”

“I…” George started, but the words seemed to be stuck, and he desperately wanted them out. “I think I… IthinkIlikeDream.”

“...What?” Sapnap said, and in the midst of it, George had missed the way Sapnap had spat out the word. “You like Dream?”

The lack of denial from the British confirmed the fact.

“Well, congrats?” Bad broke the silence, his chuckles seemingly as hollow as ever. “That’s wonderful.”

“I don’t know what to do?” George asked, and he heard Sapnap mumble something underneath his breath, but before George could catch it, it disappeared along with the wind. 

“Just… take some time to sort out your feelings, I guess. Shit, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon, George,” Bad said hurriedly, before ending the call. George watched Sapnap’s icon light up in a ring of green.

“I… uh, I gotta head to bed soon, too. Bye Georgie.”

And then there was only him in the room. George pitied himself as he left Discord, his body guiding him to his bed. He fell into the arms of his covers, the warmth engulfing him in a hug as he cried his heart out.

He fell asleep soon enough. 

*  
_Interesting._

George opened his eyes, but there was nothing but darkness in front of him. He held his arm out, and it seemed to disappear. His eyes widened as he looked around.

_Dream, huh?_

“What- what do you want?” George asked shakily, crossing his arms in front of him. He put a foot out, and tested the ground in front of him.

Solid. He walked forward. 

_Interesting_ , the voice only mumbled, the audio glitching. _This will be an interesting little game._

“Wh- what? What game?”

_Full moon. Interesting._

“Stop!” George yelled, but the words seemed to be lost in the void. He reached out again, as if he wanted to grab at something, perhaps comfort. The darkness gave him nothing but shivers and fear.

The voice merely laughed at his state. George glared.

_Feisty, are we?_

“Shut up! Where am I?”

 _Let’s play a game, George_ , the voice said, and George could hear something in the distance, a shiver running down his spine when he realised it was a howl. A game that involves your feelings.

“No! Let me out!” 

The howls seem to be louder, closer to George. He bit on his lip as he ran, his legs carrying him (hopefully) far from the predators. 

_Let you out? Darling, you poor, naive boy_ , it cooed, but George brushed off its words, goosebumps rising along his arm. A loud cackle bursted through the space as two glowing eyes appeared in front of George, causing the boy to skid to a stop.

_Why would I let you out? You’re a huge part of this, one of the main characters._

Loud panting filled his ears, and to his horror, a snout materialised in front of him, followed by sharp teeth. George turned around, but another pair of eyes stopped him.

_Nowhere to run, Georgie, where would you go?_

A pack of wolves were surrounding him, and George whimpers as he crouched down, panic filling his entire body.

_The game is simple, George. All you have to do is win, beat your opponents._

The predators circle him, growls filling in the air as George whimpered pathetically.

_Win his heart, Georgie. The competition is on._

A grey wolf pounced on him, and all George felt was a sharp pain on his neck before he passed out.

\----  
“What the fuck?” Dream breaks the silence. “Wait, so I have to like him back?”

Wilbur nods, but Techno merely looks away, his posture relaxing a little. 

“Technically, yes. In order to get your precious friends back, you’ll have to return their feelings,” Techno hums. “Their ‘magic’ is helping them, yes, but it’s you who have to ultimately make your choice.”

“Can’t I like them as a friend?” Dream complains, “Isn’t that enough?”

“Nope,” Wilbur chimes in (with a haven’t you people ever heard of, closing the goddamn door-), “Romantically, or else it won’t work.”

“What if I don’t like them?”

“I don’t know,” Techno shrugs, glancing at the closet, picking at his fingers as if the news didn’t come as a shock. “I wasn’t able to get that information.”

“Then you guys-”

“We’re here to help you get out, but we have a time limit,” Wilbur mumbles, pulling at the opening of his sleeves to form a sweater paw. “Mind break, remember?”

“Wait, get out?”

“Yeah,” Techno looks at Dream funnily, and in the corner of his eye, Dream can see Wilbur cast a worried look. “Get out of this… this shenanigans. We need to be quick.”

“But my friends-”

“That’s their problem,” Wilbur says, and the closet seems to groan in protest. “Authors, shut the fuck up before I eat you for dinner.”

“Wha-”

“Ignore him. His playful side is coming out,” Techno waves, grabbing Dream’s attention. “But it’s true, it’s their problem. Our mission now is to get you out of here.”

“How did I even get here?” Dream asks, and his head is feeling very, very heavy. A headache is starting to surface, so he rubs his temples. “How did I- fuck, Techno, i don’t wanna die.”

“We won’t let you.” Techno puts a hand on Dream’s shoulder, stabilising him. “If there’s a way we got into this mess, there is gonna be a way we’ll get out too. We just need to find the trigger before it’s too late.”

_Before it’s too late._

“I… Techno, I-” Dream sniffs, “I’m scared.”

Techno’s eyes soften, the previous harshness melting away as he pulls Dream into a hug. “It’s alright, buddy. I’ll protect you no matter what, and your cat is here for you, too.”

“Techno, I will not hesitate to scratch you,” Wilbur deadpans, but his claws are out as a warning. Techno ignores him.

“Get some rest. We’ll discuss this more tomorrow.” Techno takes the pillow out from beneath him, turning it to the other side and placing it underneath Dream’s head. As soon as Dream’s head hit the soft surface, he feels himself getting pulled in by sleep. Mumbling a ‘thank you’ to Techno, he sees the latter smile as he crawls beneath the bed.

Somehow, Wilbur has transformed back into Patches, snuggling into Dream’s side. Dream raises a hand and scratches at her ears, and she purrs in delight.

For once, all is calm.

(not for long though haha)

“Authors, shut the fuck up before I throw you out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man my writing just went downhill lmfao


	10. just a dream (or is it?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is gonna be quite a long author's note, so if you wanna skip it, feel free. but please, read the trigger warnings before proceeding.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: graphic descriptions of corpse, gore, blood, dissociation (a little), knives. read the tags for more, but i assure you if you skip this, you're not gonna miss anything in the next chapter (i think.)
> 
> alright, for those of you who wants to read on, feel free, but for those who stayed, i have some news/message for ya
> 
> first of all, i'd like to apologise for the lack of updates for almost an entire month on this book. cordelia was on a vacation, and i agreed to step up and write the next (this) chapter, but schoolwork got the best of me and i had no time to sit down and finish the chapter until yesterday night. i hope you guys understand, and im really sorry for the long wait
> 
> which goes for my second point: there's this big exam that's coming up for me, so i'm going to be away for about a month to focus on school. i have no idea if cordelia can update in my place for me since she has her own life too, so the updates to this will be slow (unless she can carry the book woooo) but yeah, i'm gonna go radio silent until my exams are over (this goes for my other books too, not just this). although i'm still gonna be replying to comments, i wont be updating
> 
> i hope you guys understand that, and i'm really, really sorry :( i hope you enjoyed this chapter though

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP-

Dream groans as he throws the covers off his body, his eyes still closed as he rummages for his alarm clock blindly. When his fingers caress the smooth, plastic surface, he throws it as hard as he can against the wall, effectively shutting it up.

Beside him, Patches is purring softly, her little body rising up and down with every breath. Dream reaches over to scratch at the back of her ear, and she leans into his touch. Chuckling, he decides to start his day as he stretches his body, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he feels his joints pop.

He walks towards his bathroom and does his morning routine, his fingers weaving through his hair carelessly as he lets it fall messily in front of his emerald green orbs. Good enough, he thinks, and hums an unknown tune while walking towards his kitchen.

The entire place is in shambles, broken plates and ripped out cushions littering the floor, but he steps over them and puts two slices of bread into the toaster. Streaks of red paint the white, pristine wall, a blatant contrast, and as the bread pops up with a ‘ding’, Dream butters them slowly. 

There is some sort of tension lingering in the air, and he lets his eyes wander around and explore his apartment, the butterknife in his hand coming to a stop. Chairs are strewn around, the dining table displaced from its original alignments. 

Dream shrugs, and continues to spread butter on his toast. It’s routine for his house to be thrashed, so he doesn’t think much when he sees a bloody knife on the floor, staining the grey carpet. He sighs a little when he spots the mess on the dining table, papers covering every inch of the surface, and decides to migrate to the living room instead.

The state of the living room isn’t that better either, as cotton escaped their prison of pillows and glass from windows decorated the floor with a shiny glint. Dream, unfazed, sits on the couch, slightly relieved that there is at least somewhere to relax. 

He crunches on the toast, savouring the sweet taste of butter, his eyes lingering on the torn nylon curtains as they float in the breeze, bloody fingerprints dragged along the dirty surface of the glass. Sunlight is trickling in through the dusty window, and from outside, he can hear the busy commotion of traffic at the junction near his apartment. The constant honking of restless drivers would have driven him insane two years ago, but ever since he got used to it, it faded into nothing but background noise.

The toast is gone before he knows it, and with a heavy sigh he heaves himself up, dusting the crumbs off of his pants. He lets the plate fall to the ground, and with a loud crash it shatters into million pieces, glinting under the sunlight with a hint of menace. Unfazed, Dream walks towards the stairs.

He smells it before he even reaches the foot of the steps, his nose crinkling in disgust as a strong wave of rotten fish chokes him. Pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose, he makes his way up the stairs, the smell getting stronger and stronger with every step, causing his eyes to water from how foul it is.

The scent seems to be coming from his room, and somehow, the irrational part of his brain has convinced him to open the door and inspect it. The familiar feeling of dread washes over him, but underneath it, serenity takes over him, and as he steps into his room, he barely flinches at the scene.

Blood soaks through the white bedsheets that he owns, and there are flies circling an unknown lump underneath the thick blanket. The stench is so powerful that Dream gags a little, the strong taste of rotten flesh and garbage sneaking into his mouth, causing him to almost spill his guts out. A newfound strength, boosted by his unwavering curiosity, pushes him to step forward and yank the blanket away to reveal the mystery underneath.

Techno lies on the bed, a swarm of flies covering the open wounds on his body, and Dream stumbles back, his eyes wide. The former’s lifeless eyes are wide open, cold and empty, staring at Dream in such a way that makes Dream’s stomach flip as the latter barely holds his composure. His hair is haphazard, sticking with dried blood and other unknown substances that Dream doesn’t dare to imagine. The pale skin seems almost translucent, except for the few green patches of bruises. A gaping hole is at where Techno’s stomach should be, and-

Dream looks away, taking a few more steps back. Despite the warm heat that is radiating from outside, he feels so, so cold. Shivering, he glances around, forcing his eyes to not land on the body.

He feels fear, but surprisingly, a maniacal laughter tears its way out of his throat. It starts off as a low chuckle, and to Dream’s horror, the corners of his mouth twists up to form a smile. As if his body is on autopilot, he finds himself walking towards Techno’s body again, and dips his index finger into the pool of blood. 

As he brings his finger towards his lip, the front door bell rings, snapping him out of his trance. Finding himself slightly disappointed, he makes his way down to the living room again, where his shattered plate lay silently amongst the other broken china, begging Dream to pick them up. Ignoring their requests, Dream opens the door, and in front of him stands Sapnap.

“Dream, I- what the fuck?” Sapnap holds his nose in disgust, his eyes flickering from brown the red for a slight moment, before they resume back to normal again. “Look, listen-”

“What do you want, Sapnap?” His words come out cold, and he sees Sapnap frown, hiding the hurt that Dream almost misses if he isn’t observant enough. 

Sapnap’s eyes travel down to Dream’s bloodied finger, and there’s some sort of hunger behind his gaze, but he snaps himself back and looks up at Dream once again. “I have something important to tell you.”

Without warning, Sapnap pushes past Dream, inviting himself in. Dream rolls his eyes, and slams the door shut. Both boys don’t seem to mind the mess as they settle down on the broken couch which groans at their weight. 

“You… Is Techno still-”

“Did you kill Techno?” The four words slip past Dream’s mouth accidentally, and Sapnap’s eyes widen at the indication. A bright red flashes again, though this time it remains for a longer period of time, enough to paint a smirk on Sapnap’s face, but Snap is suppressed yet again as Sapnap regains control of his body.

“No, I didn’t. Listen, shit, Dream, I found out something,” Sapnap mutters, running his hand through his hair. He swings his legs a little, kicking at the broken pieces on the floor as he scrambles to find the correct phrases. “Dream, you know… you know you’re in a mind break, right? I know how to get you back.”

“And why should I?” Dream snarls, but there’s something inside him that yells for Sapnap, something rational and normal inside him that begs to be released, to be let go from the prison that is his body and his mind. “I love it like this.”

“No, Dream, you’re… no. We have to get you out, I want to get you out,” Sapnap says, this time with more determination as he searches Dream’s eyes. “You have to trust me, I-”

“No.”

Irritation surfaces. “Listen-”

“Why would I?”

“You killed Techno!” Sapnap yells, and Dream stops, freezing as Sapnap trembles in anger. “You fucking killed Techno, because you’re under control! It’s a sick and twisted game, and we need to snap you out of this, get you out! George and Bad, they-”

“Where-”

“Uh, uh, time’s up!” A laughter echoes through the living room, sending chills down Dream’s spine, and his blood runs cold as Sapnap freezes beside him. The voice sounds oddly familiar, but he isn’t able to pinpoint exactly whose it’s from. “Dream, you know what to do.”

As if a switch is flipped, Dream’s passive attitude turns into something more dark, more evil as the maniacal laughter from before rips its way out from his throat. Something more sinister takes over his body, and he finds himself trapped, screaming at himself in his own mind as he loses control of his actions. He watches as he lunges for his best friend, whose eyes turn red as Snap tries to defend himself, only for Dream to pin him down with a knife (where did he get it from?) at his throat. 

_Stop!_ Dream screams from inside, but his body doesn’t listen. Instead, the sharp edge of the knife traces down Snap’s body, torturously slow.

It’s a nightmare. He’s living in a nightmare.

“Well, well, well,” the voice sneers. “Look at you, Snap. How fucking pathetic.”

“Leave me alone, Dream, please,” Snap begs, an unknown tameness behind the usual psychotic behaviour. “Dream? I love you, please.”

“Do it, Dream.” It’s a command, and Dream is so, so close to finding out the owner behind this twisted game, before his body moves again and causes him to 

He raises his knife, and Snap’s eyes widen as the sharp weapon dives down and-

*  
Dream wakes up in cold sweat, trembling in fear. His shirt is soaked wet, clinging onto his body like a slug. 

At first, he doesn’t register his surroundings, his mind still trapped in the nightmare as he thrashes around, the blankets wrapping around him tightly causing him to panic. As he releases himself from the cobra-like grip, his eyes readjusts to the darkness, and he makes out the outline of his pillow, and his bed, his bedside lamp, and-

And he’s home. He’s okay.

Relief crashes down on him, and he chokes out a sob, hiding his face in his hands as he lets out his fear in tears. He feels dirty, feels scared of himself, and a part of him wonders if he’s actually capable of murdering his own best friends, of being so cold blooded that there’s no mercy in him at all.

A hand lands on his shoulder, causing him to scramble backwards and away as he lets out a small scream. The figure turns on the lamp, and he realises it’s Techno sitting in front of him, unharmed and safe, a thin fog of fatigue still clouding his eyes as he rubs at them.

“Dude, you good? What happened?”

His voice is enough to send Dream crying again. Techno freezes, his eyes focusing as Dream collapses, sobbing loudly into his blankets. Feeling ashamed, Dream hides his face, turning away from Techno until the latter pulls him closer.

“Dream, shh, I’m here, you’re okay. Do you, uh- do you want a hug or?”

Dream accepts the offer, falling into Techno’s warm embrace. He feels a small body press against his right thigh, and another wave of relief washes over him as he realises it’s Patches. 

“Patches,” he sighs, his mood lifting a little as Patches glares at him, her claws stretched out and ready to scratch. However, Techno’s glare is enough to stop her, so she resorts to climbing into Dream’s lap, spreading her warmth in an attempt to calm her owner down. 

The boys sit in silence as Dream slowly calms himself down, a small headache threatening to surface after the breakdown. Dream hiccups, so Techno fetches a glass of water from the bedside table (since when did he have water in his room?), which Dream accepts gratefully and takes a big gulp from.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I-” Dream opens his mouth, but for once, the confident front that he puts up falls away, leaving behind a broken, fragile boy. All the crying from before has also exhausted him, and he doesn’t find the energy to explain everything. “No, I’m sorry, I, uh-”

“I understand.” Techno gives him a small smile, stopping Dream from rambling. “I’m here, alright? C’mhere.”

“Thank you,” Dream mumbles, and Techno pulls him into another hug. The warmth from the embrace is enough to lull Dream into sleep again, and before he passes out, he makes a mental note to treat Techno better.


	11. do you hate physics because me too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cordie here, sorry for the late update! back from vacation straight into school sucks :( lets hope we have a great chapter here and hopefully some ajfbwej
> 
> ANYWAYS FUCK SHCOOL
> 
> UPDATE: SORRY IM SO LATE, I FRICKING HATE SCHOOL AERJGHRJFWEBDWJEBTRAEWJKHEFVHKQ  
> UPDATE 2: SORRY THAT ITS SO SHORT I JUST REALIZED THAT NDSBSENMFBMN NOOOOOO  
> UPDATE 3: SHAMELESS PLUG BUT READ ADAD IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO
> 
> warnings: the infamous orange juice/mint combo, gagging kind of? overall descriptive descs of drinking stuff, some dissociation, and some cuts from fighting

As Dream stumbled into the kitchen, groggy from a lack of sleep and a pang of hunger stirring in his stomach, he saw Bad reaching up for the flour, humming to himself. At the sound of Dream's shuffling footsteps, Bad glanced down toward him with a grin, his fangs protruding from his mouth. "Good evening!"

Dream ignored him completely, and tried not to react when he saw Bad wilt in front of him like a dejected puppy. Since the afternoon, Dream had vowed to do what it would take to get out of the alternate reality he was in. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out the orange juice, pouring himself a glass.

"Dream? Dream~" Bad waved his hand in front of the male, trying to grab his attention, but Dream ignored him again, paying no attention to the vampire. With one swift motion, he raised the glass to his lips and downed the whole thing in one gulp, visibly trying not to cringe. The taste that filled his mouth was bitter and horrid, and Dream immediately decided that if he ever drank bleach, it would most likely taste like this. He forced it down his stomach, settling the glass on the counter with a loud _thunk_ , and waved to Bad apologetically. "Sorry. That didn't work, I guess."

"What are you—Dream!" Bad panicked, nearly dropping the flour. "You did _not_ just drink orange juice right after brushing your teeth. You poor muffin!" The vampire smothered him in a hug, which Dream accepted reluctantly. The mantra he had composed for himself replayed in his mind like a broken tape, a constant warning. _You don't have a lot of time. You need to get out. You don't have a lot of time. You need to get out. You don't have a lot of time. You need to get out. You don't have a lot of time—_

His train of thought was immediately interrupted as a casual "Hey Dream" made his blood freeze.

Raising his head from Bad's embrace, he came face-to-face with Sapnap, smiling casually as if nothing in the world had happened the night before. His eyes were back to their ochre color, but they glinted with a fear that even Dream could see. Though the blond had originally planned to give Sapnap a lecture, after what Wilbur had told him and the dream he had just hours ago, he was overwhelmed with relief instead. "Sapnap."

"Yeah, that's me, what are you—" Sapnap halted as Dream rushed into him, giving him a tight hug and leaving Bad. The vampire was incredibly miffed, but at the moment where his vampiric senses weren't strong enough he could only swoon in adoration at Dream, a warm smile stretching over his face at the sight of his friend being so affectionate. Sapnap reciprocated the hug, unsure of what to say or of what happened. Two protective arms wrapped around Dream's shoulders tightly, and in that very moment Dream nearly decided he wanted to stay there forever. _Nearly,_ had it not been for the mantra in his head coming back to him like a nuisance. _You don't have a lot of time. You need to get out._

Dream pulled away, eliciting a whine from Sapnap at the loss of touch. "Where's George?"

"George?" Bad said the name slowly, as if it were foreign to him.

"Yeah...George...you know? Our werewolf friend?" Sapnap reiterated, confusion flashing across his face.

" _...Who?_ " Bad answered uncertainly. "Who's George?"

"What the fuck?" Dream scrambled away from Bad, eyes wide in confusion. "How do you not remember—"

"What." Sapnap furrowed his eyebrows, visibly concerned. "Bad, are you okay? Did you hit your head on the counter or sniff too much flour or something?"

While Sapnap was fussing over the vampire, Dream retreated back to his room, closing the door as swiftly and quietly as he could while locking the door. Rushing to his bed, he flipped up the comforter to reveal Techno's sleeping figure, Patches curled by his side. Without hesitation, he shook Techno's shoulder, panic rising in his chest. "Techno!"

"W-What? What is it?" Techno groggily rose out of his slumber, rubbing his eyes as he eyed dream. "What happened?"

"Bad doesn't remember George," Dream hissed, and Techno shot up, banging his head on the bottom of the bed as he did so. He reeled back, clutching his head in pain. The sudden movement disturbed Patches immediately, and the cat hissed before climbing out and transforming into Wilbur, ears twitching in agitation and tail flicking back and forth irritably. "What the hell!?"

"Wait, wait, hold on. How has he already forgotten who George..." Techno shook his head, utterly confused. "Maybe we have even less time than I thought we would."

"That means you can't waste time anymore. There's gotta be some sort of gateway that lets you out..." Wilbur pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to figure out a solution. "Hey, come to think of it, you haven't played Minecraft in a while."

"That's because I haven't had time," Dream mumbled. "With the way everyone's been wreaking havoc; George kidnapping me and then Sapnap killing—" Dream choked as he remembered Finn, how the coffee shop had been the last time he had seen him.

"Wait. You haven't been able to play Minecraft because you've been busy with them, right?" Wilbur interrupted him, the gears turning in his head. "Does that mean..."

"Try playing Minecraft. Go do a speedrun or something, I don't know. Maybe the curse is causing them to make trouble for you, to keep you distracted from getting out. And you haven't been able to play Minecraft, because you've been distracted. At this point we can only assume that Minecraft is the way out," Techno ordered. "Wilbur and I can try to figure out what's wrong with Bad, but you need to make sure you resist everything, okay?"

The nightmare from the night before flickered in Dream's consciousness, and he pushed it to the farthest corners of his mind as he turned to his gaming setup. "Okay...but if I leave, what about my friends? I can't leave them behind."

There was silence. Dream turned around, but there was no one there—the only remnants of the two left from the open window that blasted in a fresh gust of air. With a sigh of resignation, Dream sat down at his computer and got to work.

_______

George opened his eyes to find himself in a very, very dark place. Everywhere he tried to look, he was met with the blackness of the void he was in. The air he breathed hurt his lungs and made him want to double over and vomit, and the ground below him was nonexistent, as if he were floating in space.

In his dazed state, he was unable to deflect the sudden slice of a sliver knife to his arm, tearing away at his skin. The wound burned into his flesh, turning black from the acid-like metal. The pain poured adrenaline into his mind as he whirled around to try and find his attacker, teeth bared. "Let me go!"

"You're getting a bit hasty there." The voice that echoed in the darkness was too familiar, and George recognized it immediately. "You—"

"Uh uh," the voice tsked. "Do you realize that you're running out of time? I sped up the clock, and the portal is closing fast. Soon, you'll be trapped inside your mind break, constantly all over Dream as he falls to his own mind break. You'll be like this forever."

"No!" George shouted. "I don't want to get lost here....I don't want to stop Dream!"

"Ah, but you can't. After all, _I_ control your curse." The voice laughed, and George could feel invisible fingers tugging at the strings of his mind like a puppet, trying to control him. "You may be the last of your original consciousness, but I'll make sure you'll get snuffed out quick. Unless you want me to ramp up the effects of the curse?"

"I'll stop you, you—" The strings were pulled taut, and George nearly screamed in pain. Even then, he gritted his teeth, doing his best to resist. In a swift motion, he reared his fist back and punched the air in front of him. Somehow, the attack connected, and he could hear a grunt as the voice reared back in pain. George raised another fist, but the voice was too strong, the weight of the curse pressing down on him, pushing him to the ground. George was forced on the invisible floor, seething in anger. "I'll...I'll kill you!"

"Bye, George," the voice sang as it suddenly let go, George falling through the vastness of space and time into a bottomless pit.

_______

"George!" Sapnap exclaimed, surprise in his expression as the werewolf sauntered into the room as if nothing had happened. "We were worried about you!"

"Oh...George? Oh I remember now!" Bad grinned, fangs poking out in the new moon that provided no light in the living room. "Oh my god, how could I forget? I'm sorry George! I forgot who you were!"

"You did?" George asked in surprise.

"Yeah, sorry about that..." Bad mumbled, wilting slightly before perking up again. "But it's okay, since I remember you now! Come on, how about a group hug?"

"Alright, alright, group hug," Sapnap relented, laughing as Bad pulled him into his embrace, along with George. As George hugged the other two tightly, he glanced up at the new moon, knowing he would be in human form for the night thanks to the lack of moonlight, and his eyes flared a bright yellow before an unnatural grin settled on his face.

He knew what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WROTE ALL OF THIS IN A DAZE WATCH ME COME BACK TOMORROW AND BE LIKE "NO WAIT I WANNA ADD MORE"
> 
> ANYWAYS THANKS FOR COMMENTS AND KUDOS AND PLS LEAVE SOME AND SORRY WE'RE SO BUSY ILY ALL


	12. oops we forgot about this book for a whole minute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello sorry for the late arrival we missed you guys lots and school decided to be bitches to us  
> isle is still busy, so im taking over updates for now (we're still discussing and plotting the whole story though)  
> i hope you guys enjoy this chapter, sorry for the 2 month wait :(
> 
> as a compensation this chapter is possibly the longest chapter I've written in a while. dialogue heavy, sit back and enjoy!

"God. Fucking. Damn it!" Dream slammed his fist against his desk, rattling his precious computer setup as the glaring "You died!" screen laughed at him, having been unable to outrun a tiny baby zombie and running straight into a creeper explosion. He had been so close to reaching the Nether as well, and frustration was welling up in his body. He knew he didn't have to speedrun, but every time he died, it seemed as if he were going backwards in stepping out and leaving—as if Techno and Wilbur were correct in their deductions, and that Minecraft truly was the way out from this hellscape.

"I need some fresh air," he spoke to particularly nobody, but there was a mutter of dissent from underneath his bed (most likely Techno, who had been camping out to keep an eye on anything going wrong), and he turned off his PC, rising up to stretch his legs. After cracking a couple of joints and rubbing at his eyes, he left his bedroom, heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

The silence in his apartment was uncanny—he had gotten so used to the chaos of his three friends fighting over him, wreaking havoc and breaking windows and other pieces of furniture, that the quiet was...disturbing. He hadn't seen anyone since he had came out of his room, and anxiety began to well up in his stomach. After nearly gulping down his entire refill of a water bottle, he checked the clock on the wall, reading _3:12am_. Thankfully, running his Youtube channel had fucked up his sleep schedule, so he didn't feel that sleepy in the slightest—if anything, he felt more awake than he had felt since he woke up in the new reality.

The door behind him creaked open, and Dream whirled around to see Bad stumble into the kitchen, head in one hand as he gripped the counter for balance. Concern welled up in Dream and he rushed over, gripping his wrist. "Are you okay?"

Bad lifted his head up, and Dream sharply inhaled as he saw the red glow in his friend's eyes, indicating hunger. To Dream's surprise, Bad shrunk away from him, gripping his hand on the counter like a vise. He looked away, breathing heavily, and Dream would have cracked a joke were he not so concerned. "You're _hungry._ "

Bad stiffened at the claim, biting his lip (albeit gently, with the way his fangs fully protruded out). "I-I don't understand," he managed to speak. "W-Why am I hungry? I'm losing my mind; my thoughts are only filled with the idea of you and your blood and me drinking out of you and—"

"Stop it," Dream interrupted before Bad could go any farther. "What do you mean, you're losing your mind!?"

Bad managed to grasp the strength to make eye-contact with Dream, and Dream saw the brokenness in his friend's eyes, the sharp swirls that seemed...a lot like brainwashing, but his friend was resisting as hard as he could. His hand came to his mouth, and his eyes widened in horror. "Dream. Dream, it's me, it's me, it's _me_."

"What do you mean, it's _you!?_ " Dream pestered.

"Help, I-I need your blood—no, no I don’t!" Bad's voice rose higher, a sort of panic beginning to overwhelm the vampire. "H-He won't let me—"

"Who are you talking about!? Bad calm down; try to think of a name," Dream coaxed.

"I-I can't," Bad gasped, as if he couldn't breathe despite his chest rising and falling. "Help me Dream, I need you, I need you... _I need you._ "

The sudden assertiveness from Bad's words as his panicked state faded in an instant sent chills down Dream's spine. The red orbs, once shining with forbidden knowledge, were dulled down with a hunger that Dream had never seen in Bad before. "Speaking of which, I was thinking...my hunger pangs have been getting a lot stronger recently. I think...we'll need to start setting weekly blood drinkings."

"Wait, wait, wait, why me!?" Dream scrambled backward, reaching for his unattended water bottle near the stove.

"I don't have anyone else I can drink from—or at least, none that are as satisfying as you," Bad pointed out. "I can't drink werewolf blood, and Sapnap's blood tastes horrendous."

Deciding to ignore that Bad had subtly implied he had drank from Sapnap before, Dream tried to find a way out of his situation. "Won't I faint from blood loss?"

"I'll be careful with you, I promise." As much as Dream knew this Bad was very different from the Bad he had known in his original reality, one thing remained constant between the two—he would continually put his friends' wellbeing above himself. "Please, I'm worried I'm going to lose control again."

"Lose...control?" Dream narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Who was the 'he' you were referring to during your panic?"

"My panic?" Bad tilted his head in confusion, genuine bewilderment in his expression. "I was...panicking? I don't recall saying any names."

 _THAT'S SO FUCKING SUSPICIOUS,_ a loud voice yelled in Dream's head, but he made no change to his facial expression, waving it off. "Oh, nevermind. Speaking of which—Hey, where are George and Sapnap!?"

"Right here," Sapnap spoke up from behind Bad, causing the vampire to jump. Bad stumbled to the side, taken by surprise as Sapnap waltzed into the room without a second thought. As he made eye-contact with Dream, Dream immediately saw the eye color and frowned. "Snap?"

"Damn, maybe I should get eye-contacts," Snap muttered to himself, red eyes glinting in the bright lights of the kitchen. "Of course it's me, darling. What's up?"

"You're not like...drooling over me or anything?" Dream was offset by the incredibly-calm behavior of Snap.

"Well...I had to think about it, and you weren't happy with me trying to kill George, were you!?" Snap's voice rose slightly. "I can't have my baby not liking me...I'll make you love me and adore me."

"I take that back," Dream muttered under his breath. "Where's George?"

"Don't speak of that lowly scum," Sapnap grumbled. "He's...in your room I think?"

"My _room!?_ " Dream's eyes widened in horror. _TECHNO!_

"Don't worry about it, you and I have a date, remember?" Snap winked at him flirtatiously, but Dream was already moving from his position at the counter. "Dream, wait, where are you going—"

Dream found his room door closed, and as he jiggled at the doorknob, he found it locked from the inside. "What the fuck!? George! Let me in! _Let me in!_ "

"Oh, forget about him," Snap muttered from a couple of feet away, grasping at Dream's wrist. Almost immediately, Dream could feel his urgency slipping away, and as his mind grasped desperately for his friend, trapped in his bedroom with his alternate-reality friend, he found himself visibly relaxing. Snap seemed to furrow his eyebrows at this, but shook his head. "Come on darling. Don't make me hold a knife to your throat."

Under normal circumstances Dream would have been terrified at that notion, but the grip of Snap's hand on his wrist seemed to soothe his brain and thoughts, allowing him to be dragged out of the apartment as the door closed on a confused Bad. Dream allowed himself to get pulled down the stairs and out into the cool 3AM air. The sudden gust of wind caused him to shiver, and Snap shook off his jacket, wrapping it around Dream's shoulders.

After walking a while, Dream managed to snap out of his daze, and he noticed his friend (would it even be correct for Dream to call him a friend?) was unusually quiet. "You alright?"

"We're finally away," Snap muttered, rolling his eyes. "Good. We should be out of their earshot by now."

"Well, you made a terrible excuse to get me away from there. Like come on, who goes on a date with someone at 3am?" Snap laughed boisterously at Dream's complaint, a happy and infatuated grin on his face. It quickly faded away, however, at Dream's next question. "Why was George in my room?"

"Look, I don't know how to break this to you," Snap muttered as they reached toward the city, fairy lights strewn across the street. "But something's wrong. I can't place my finger on it, but something's going to go terribly wrong and it's coming closer."

"What do you mean?" That same familiar concern from only ten minutes ago was welling up back in his stomach.

"I had to take over Sapnap, okay!?" Snap buried a hand in his head, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm acting out of character and I know a _particular_ someone's going to notice it soon, but Sapnap is going even weirder than before. _He_ made a mistake, creating me inside of Sapnap."

"He? That's the second time now—both you and Bad have mentioned 'he'. But Bad brushed it off," Dream frowned.

"That’s because it's too late for Bad! He fell for it! He's lost it now! He's reached the mind break, and now he won't stop chasing after you to be his forever. Which is clearly unacceptable, because I'm the only one for you," Snap muttered under his breath. "That's beside the point! This mind break I've reached has turned against _him._ It'll only be a matter of time before he notices, and then he'll trap me in Sapnap forever, left to rot...I can't let that happen."

"The mind break," Dream recalled. "Techno—"

"Said that your friends were under a curse?" Snap finished, and Dream whirled toward him in surprise. The murderer twirled a knife (at this point, Dream had given up questioning where the hell Snap got his knives from) and sheathed it. "I would know. That was me in your dream, after all."

Bile rose up in his throat. _The dream._ "But Sapnap..."

"No!" Snap interrupted him. "That wasn't Sapnap. That was me. I know, because the creator of this—" Snap stopped in his tracks, hands flying to his throat, stumbling backwards as he seemed to gasp for air. Dream turned and saw him, his eyes flickering between red and brown, and Dream grasped his wrist, not sure of what to do. "Snap!"

Snap clawed for air, seemingly on the verge of death—and all of a sudden, everything stopped. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, head whirling around. The night remained calm, and Dream helped Snap back up to his feet. "What the fuck was that!?"

"I-I can't say anything about it?" Snap muttered to himself. He shook his head, sighing. "Fine. But you're losing time. I know a thousand people have probably said that to you already, but you're running out of time. Even me just grasping your wrist got you in that hypnotic daze."

"Why are you helping me? Don't you want me to love you back?" Dream asked fearfully.

"Well, no duh! It would be amazing if I could just wake up everyday and have you all to myself. But there's also the issue of a lack of a chase. Adrenaline. You know how people go crazy sometimes? It's because the world becomes too boring. Everything is a bore. People want action; they want fun. I won't have as much fun if I'm not chasing you around to be mine—unlike that lazy motherfucker Sapnap, who just wants you to himself right away with no danger. Of course, I would probably be the same if you were interested in... _that_ kind of stuff, but your unusual demeanor is saying otherwise. You're a player, so why aren't you acting like one?" Snap laughed, as if he hadn't been choking to death minutes prior. "Besides, you _hated_ kissing me. Have you ever considered what might happen once you reach mind break?"

"N-no," Dream answered truthfully. He had been so preoccupied with escaping that he hadn't even considered the consequences of staying in the new reality.

"Your mind break would kill us all," Snap replied simply.

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me," Snap replied. "You saw your dream; you killed Techno. The stress of being here, and everything that we've done, would cause you to lose your mind. Everyone that you've met in this reality would perish. Me, George, Bad, Techno...we would all die. This is why we're so dependent on you escaping. Because if you don't choose to love us, or you don't make it out in time, _we_ die too."

"Oh my god," Dream whispered, bringing a hand to his mouth. "Why didn't Techno and Wilbur tell me any of this sooner?"

Snap winced. " _They_ can’t; they're bound to the rules of the game as your _friends_. But because you don’t consider me a friend, and neither do I, I'm out of his grasp...for now, and only somewhat. It seems like the reality can sense disturbances."

"Who's he? You guys aren't telling me who 'he' is," Dream begged. "Please, let me know!"

"I can't say his name, or I'll die," Snap muttered. "But I can give you this." He leaned close to Dream, cupping his hands around his ear, whispering as quietly as he could muster.

" _Beware of the color yellow._ "

As Snap leaned back, Dream nearly opened his mouth to ask him to elaborate, but one glance at Snap and he knew that it would be futile. Snap merely eyed him for a moment, his red eyes seemingly peering into his soul, and a wistful downturn of his lips indicated longing. "Maybe in other circumstances...you could love me back."

"Don't," he added before Dream could open his mouth again. "I don't want a love given to me because of pity. That's boring and ugly as fuck."

"W-What about George and Bad? Have they reached mind break?" Dream opted to ask.

"Bad's reached mind break—he already requested weekly feedings, Jesus Christ. Sooner or later he'll become a leech. As for George...he got to him. He's gone. Under his control. And the only way to save him now is to get out." Snap sat down at a bench, staring at the closed shops and faint lights. Dream followed, unsure of what to say. "Sapnap is almost gone too."

"George was in _my_ room. You wouldn't think he's doing something to Techno, would he?" Dream pestered.

"Techno's in your room!?" Snap's eyes widened. "Oh shit, that _is_ bad."

"Can't we go save him!?" Dream pleaded.

"No way. Techno can handle himself in there. If he can hold off against me, he can definitely hold off against George. Have some faith." Snap turned away. "Besides...I wanted to spend some time with you alone. Even if it's with this depressing conversation."

"O-Oh." Dream didn't exactly know what to say to that. "Let me get this straight. Even when you're not controlled, you're still pining for me?" The words felt strange on his tongue.

"Well, yeah. I'm created from Sapnap's love and affection for you, after all," Snap pointed out. "My love for you is literally what created my existence. It hurts a lot when you don't love me back."

"I'm sorry," Dream apologized. "I don't know how to love you, and I don't think I ever could."

Snap was quiet, and Dream was worried that he had caused the tension to increase tenfold, but before he could apologize for apologizing, Snap glanced back at the direction of Dream's apartment. "When Sapnap first saw Techno, I was worried that he would try and steal you away. But it seems like I had nothing to worry about—you don't belong to anyone, after all."

"I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you're so...accepting of me not loving you," Dream confessed.

"Well, I'm not accepting of it, but I can learn to deal with it—at least, when I'm uncontrolled. Once we get back to your apartment, I'll regress back into Sapnap, and it'll probably be the last time you'll ever see me," Snap muttered.

"That soon!?" Dream was appalled.

"I did say you were running out of time. You're on the right track, by the way. You're getting there. He'll do everything to stop you, but you have to ignore him. Keep pushing. After all, he'll be in plain sight, and you wouldn't even notice it." Snap sighed. "Maybe if..."

"If what?"

"If we run away. I won't regress to Sapnap, and you can find somewhere else to play Minecraft, and get out, and escape." Snap suggested. "It's nearly 4AM, but all we have to do is keep running from Bad and George." He raised a hand, placing it on Dream's cheek, and Dream couldn't find it in himself to push Snap away.

Dream pondered the idea. Leaving his hellish apartment behind, where the creator of the game could never reach him. Escaping from his nightmares, sticking with the one person that was completely free of the reality's control, finding a way to escape out alive. And with Sapnap's assets, no need to worry about money, or documents, or leaving the country without explanation. He could escape easily.

But there was Techno to worry about. Wilbur as Patches, wondering where he could have possibly gone. Bad, without someone to keep his instincts in check, possibly going insane—or even worse, dying. George, on a rampage, in dire need of saving. And his computer, with his gaming setup, giving him the best possible concentration to escape as efficiently as possible. And if what Snap had said was true, he was in plain sight, which meant that the creator would be nearby.

"I can't," Dream finally mustered out. He watched as Snap's shoulders slumped, and sorrow filled his heart—by saying no, he was essentially spelling out Snap's doom. "I can't leave my friends behind. If I run, who knows what the creator of this reality will do to bring us back? We—I have to face him head-on."

Snap's smile was pained, and Dream could feel his heart shatter. "I see." The red-eyed murderer's lip trembled, his face becoming misty. His hand trembled against Dream's cheek, fire in his eyes faltering with the weight of incoming doom. "I won't try to change your mind."

"Really?" Dream didn't mean for it to come out so questionably, but considering everything that he had seen of Snap so far, it was unusual for him to be so...respectful.

"Well...I would if I could, but this is _you_ we're talking about. You! Dream! The most stubborn person in the entire world," Snap said with a playful but sad tone, and were it not for his red eyes Dream could almost believe it was Sapnap instead. "It's okay. I just have one last request."

"What is it?" Dream asked, already knowing what it would be.

"Can I kiss you?" Snap asked, hand still on Dream's cheek. "I want your consent this time. No blood, no threats, none of that stuff."

Dream stared at Snap, then glanced at his watch ( _4:24am, a whole hour since he had left his room_ ), back at the apartment, and then to Snap. Mutely, he nodded.

Snap raised his other hand to Dream's left cheek, and Dream tilted his head in response, leaning into the touch. Bright crimson orbs stared right back at him with observant disposition, Snap seemingly smiling for what would be the last time, closing his eyes, leaning in—

Where Dream had once tasted blood, he could only taste sweetness, longing, and a mix of sadness all into one. A hand instinctively burying itself into Snap's hair, he kissed back fervently, a voice in the back of his mind telling him that this would be the first and last kiss in this reality that he would truly accept. His heart tugged at his mind, begging for him to not let go of Snap, not let go of what would ironically be the closest link to home, soon to perish by dawn's awakening. Snap seemed to respond with as much fervor, their bodies pushing close together in a tight embrace.

Then, as soon as it started, it was over. Dream pulled back, breathing for air, a sudden sleepiness overwhelming the euphoria of a kiss. A tear had slipped down Snap's cheek as they kissed, and he could taste the saltiness on his tongue. The world around him was becoming a blur, exhaustion overwhelming his senses, and he could barely hear the murmur of Snap as he laid down on the murderer's lap and succumbed to slumber.

_______

"Dream! I made lunch!" A chirp from the kitchen roused Dream awake, and he gained his surroundings as he slowly came to. He was back in his apartment on the living room couch, the curtains drawn for Bad's convenience. Said vampire was at the doorway of the kitchen, holding a tray of soup and crackers. "Are you okay?"

"Where's...Snap?" Dream groaned out, head foggy as he accepted the tray.

"Snap? You mean Sapnap? He's out shopping with George. You okay?" Bad repeated. "Make sure you get some rest, alright? You've holed up in your room too much! Besides, I need you to be healthy so that your blood is fresh."

"Okay," Dream muttered, choosing to ignore the last part of Bad's statement. As the vampire left him be, he reached over to his phone, which was on the couch's armrest. Flicking through his messages, he noticed five missing calls from Techno. Come to think of it, he hadn't checked his bedroom either. Hitting the call button, he patiently waited.

"Dream! Oh fuck, you finally answered," Techno immediately picked up with a scratchy, ragged voice. "When you've healed up, meet me at the coffee shop. There's something important that I have to tell you."

Before Dream could even utter a word, Techno had hung up. Dream stared at his phone in disbelief, before shutting it off and turning to the soup. Memories of last night sunk into his head and he could recall Snap's every word. _Beware of the color yellow._ It only took two more seconds for Dream to realize that Snap was most likely never able to come out again, repressed underneath a near-mind break Sapnap. Heaviness weighed in his heart, but he pushed it aside. He had to continue on—for Snap's sake, for his own...

_For everyone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: more fun, more shenanigans, and the end draws near...
> 
> if you're still here, thank you so much for sticking by us! means a lot :D


	13. yeah yeah i'm alive we get it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops.
> 
> sorry for the inactivity. im back now, i promise. kudos to cordelia for carrying this book while im gone! seriously, please check her out if you havent. 
> 
> it's kinda short fjhdsjlkhs uhh i swear we're reaching the end
> 
> CW:  
> injuries  
> knives

The first thing that Dream noticed as soon as he entered the shop is Techno’s pink hair.

The second thing that Dream noticed is Techno’s torn up shirt and pants.

“Holy fuck- what happened to you?” Dream exclaimed, worry seeping into his voice. He quickly slides into the booth opposite of Techno, and when he looks up at Techno’s face, he can feel his face pale. “Techno, your-”

“I know.” Despite how deadpan he sounded, there’s still a hint of hurt underneath those words as he subconsciously covers his left eye (now closed up due to a slash wound). “I need to tell you this, quick.”

“Techno, you need to go to the hosp-”

“No, I don’t. I’ll heal.” Techno waves him away, as if his entire face isn’t covered in cuts and bruises. “I need to convey this information to you now.”

Before Dream can put a word into it, Techno is already rambling. “Look, yesterday I- we don’t talk about yesterday, okay? George’s just- it’s alright-” In Techno’s eyes are nothing but fear, and this makes Dream scared. 

Fucking terrified, to be honest. 

Techno is never one to show emotions, guarding them as tightly as possible, let alone fear. If you stared into his eyes for long enough, the most you’d get is an awkward shuffle behind as well as a ‘fuck off’ for a topping.

But fear? That’s new, and Dream hates how it’s making his stomach squirm.

“George has changed. He’s… his headspace is all fucked up,” Techno mumbles, fumbling with the coffee cup that’s sitting in front of him, liquid still lukewarm. “He isn’t himself anymore, Dream. He’s not the George you used to know. He’s another person. I’ve… I’ve never seen someone so  _ hostile _ before.”

“So you’re saying…”

“You need to be quick, Dream.” Techno stares at Dream. “You’re running out of time. I’m not… I’m not healing anymore. The world… it’s tearing itself apart to pieces. Your world, Dream. 

“I don’t know how long I can last, if I’m being honest.” Techno’s hands are shaking, vulnerability falling from brown orbs that Dream remembered used to be so guarded, so alert. “I’m afraid I’m starting to deteriorate too. Falling apart. I can barely recall most of the information I’ve gathered, let alone protect you.

“I’m afraid I might hurt you in the process, Dream.”

The sentence hangs in the air, discomfort surrounding them as Dream shifts uncomfortably in his seat. The thought of Techno, his friend, the only person he can trust (other than Wilbur, of course) hurting him and turning into a stranger scares him.

“So do I… are you still going to-”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay under your bed anymore,” Techno smiles, though it's devoid of any happiness. “I need to distance myself from you in order to make sure you won’t be hurt.”

Dream looks down at his coffee. It’s cold.

“I’ll miss you.”

Techno gives Dream a cocky smirk, one that he has grown so used to. “Yeah, sure. Don’t miss me too much, asshole.”

*

Dream leaves the shop soon after, without Techno trailing by his side.

He has to admit, although painfully, that despite their rough first encounter, he has grown to like Techno just slightly (not in the romantic way, mind you. He has too much on his plate for that). He has grown used to the way Techno would automatically crawl under his bed, as if it’s his makeshift home, trying to guard Dream from the rest of the occupants in his house. He has grown used to the way Techno would insult him, quick witted and with a smile, and Dream would fight back. 

He’s grown used to Techno, and now he isn’t sure if he’d grow used to not having Techno around again.

The walk back home is silent, to say the least. Dream tries to step on fallen leaves, feeling satisfied only when he hears a loud crunch beneath his feet. He feels like a kid once again, feels like the weight of the world isn’t on his shoulders and nothing has ever bothered him.

Oh, how he wished time would rewind.

Maybe he’d realise his friends’ feelings towards him. How could he have not, when George looks at him like he’s the entire world and the universe and Bad laughing ever so bashfully at his stupid jokes, Sapnap passing himm flowers and flirting with him.

God, how could he not have noticed?

Perhaps it’s the way he flirted back with them, thinking that it’d be platonic. Perhaps it's the way he liked to see George blush and Sapnap stumble on his words and Bad chiding him for something stupid. Perhaps it’s the way he’s so caught up in editing videos and livestreaming that his brain doesn’t register the emotions that his friends have gone through.

And if he had acknowledged it, would it have been the same? Would George become a werewolf, Sapnap a… yandere (?) and Bad a vampire? Would they have changed, just to get a crumb of attention and affection from Dream? Would Dream be sucked into this madness of a world that doesn’t even make sense to him?

Dream groans as he kicks a pebble to the side.

He doesn’t know. And frankly, he doesn’t want to know.

All he wants to do is to get out, escape (with his friends, preferably, thank you very much), and leave this world behind.

*

As soon as Dream opens the door to his apartment, Sapnap is already pinning him to the floor.

_ Not Sapnap _ , his mind tells him as he stares into bloody red eyes.

“Snap?”

“Oh, my dear Dreamie…” Snap coos, the tip of his knife dangerously close to Dream’s eyes. “I’ve missed you. Where did you go?” He then leans in and sniffs Dream’s clothes, his eyebrows knitted to a frown. “You went out with someone else, didn’t you?”

“With a friend, yes-”

“Friend?” Snap tilts his head to the side, though the glint of his knife near Dream’s cheeks isn’t calming Dream’s nerves. “You sure he doesn’t like you?”

“Snap- no!” 

“Why is your heart beating so fast, then?”

“Because your fucking  _ knife _ is in my face!” Dream attempts to shove Snap away, but Snap has him easily pinned down. “Get off me!”

“Babe, you sure about that?” Snap asks. “Y’know, I’d cut a bitch up for you if you just said-”

Dream scoffs, his heart still racing. “I think you’ve proved it by killing Skeppy and Finn. Leave me the fuck alone.” When Snap still doesn’t budge, Dream groans. “Please? You can cut any bitch you’d like I just… I just want to be left alone.”

Upon seeing Dream’s eyes getting watery, Snap immediately scrambles up. “I’m sorry if I upset you, I-”

“Don’t. Just… leave me alone.”

With that, Dream walks to his room and slams the door.

*

_ Oh, you’re still here, aren’t you? _

[you look around. you can’t seem to see anyone, yet the voice is around you. you aren’t even sure if they’re talking to you.]

_ Yeah, you. The person reading this. I’m talking to you, you fucking dummy. _

[you ask if they’re one of the authors.]

_ Author? No, I’m not the author, oh my god- do you guys ever learn?  _

_ It’s me, the game master. Or whatever you guys chose to call me. I don’t know, do you guys even address me as anything? _

[you ask if they’re the person they should be aware of; the person who wears yellow]

_ Yellow? Yeah, I’m wearing yellow alright. It’s my favourite colour. _

_ Let’s cut to the chase, alright? I’m sick and tired of seeing… seeing all these pricks running around like a headless chicken. Speaking of which, Techno was entertaining to play with, don’t you think? So desperate and eager to try and pry information. Funny. _

[you aren’t sure what they’re implying, yet deep down, you know it isn’t good]

_ Some of you out there have gotten very close to saving Dream, and y’know, as a bystander, I have to applaud you guys. I never knew you’d be so clever as to guess what I’d do to them. Some of you guys, however, have gone too far. _

_ Seriously? Another Dream? You’re cute. _

[you huff out an angry breath. cute? who the fuck does he think he is?]

_ Not to say you’re wrong, but it was fun to read everyone’s thoughts. I enjoyed it. Isle and Cordelia showed me parts of it. You guys are very, very clever, seeing through my tricks, huh? _

_ You probably already know who I am. If you don’t, well, what can I say? I’m just clever. _

[you want to protest, yet words don’t leave your mouth. you think about dream.]

_ Dream? Oh, he’ll be fine. Just his allies dropping like flies, slowly, one by one. Tick, tick, tick. _

_ Time’s ticking.  _

_ You don’t know how much fun this is. Having full control over everyone. It’s addicting, almost.  _

[you see the Game Master throw his head back and let out a loud laugh]

_ Oh, poor, poor George. He’s your favourite, isn’t he? Sapnap and Bad too. Dream.  _

_ Aren’t you glad you’re watching them spiral into insanity? Aren’t you glad that you’re here, watching them fall, watching them go neck to neck against each other, hm? You enjoy it, don’t you?  _

[you try to shake your head, but it seems like you’re frozen in place]

_ Ah, I’ll meet you next time. _

_ Remember, beware of the colour yellow. _

[as you watch the silhouette leave, you hear some sort of a melody follow him]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am high on three medications, two which makes me drowsy


	14. three monsths laters and the show begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo sorry for the really really late update school is being a fuckING BITCH  
> this is the last chapter I'm writing, so thank you guys for sticking by us with this book—isle is going to write the last chapter :D shit is going to go DOWN!  
> the story is coming to a close! hope you guys will enjoy :D
> 
> CW// derealization and some blood mentions, but if you've made it this far you probably have already expected this

When Dream finally reached the End, his hands were shaking so much he could barely concentrate. Already around him he could see the world starting to glitch out, a couple of tweaks here and there to make every enderman suddenly hostile—but he persevered. The Ender Dragon, large and terrible and its unearthly growl echoing through his headphones, was probably the best thing he had seen in his entire life.

"Fucking finally," he muttered to himself, his avatar running across the endstone with his beds in tow as the timer read on to 23 minutes. He swore he could hear someone banging on the door, but he paid it no mind—when he was playing Minecraft seriously, the world drowned out around him. Anxiety and excitement both drove him further as he easily sniped a couple of towers, but groaned as one covered itself in obsidian—he would either have to climb up and mine it out (which, given he only had an iron pickaxe, would be a waste), or continue the fight with that tower still remaining. 

The real world began to bend around him as he ate away at the dragon's HP, praying that his strength pots would be good enough to counter the one tower he couldn't bear to grab. He forced a water bucket down to keep the hostile endermen from snagging at his HP, and the sounds of explosions filled his ears as he strategically placed his beds down.

The tower he was fighting against was being very persistent, refusing to let him get the final hit on the ender dragon. Nearly screaming in frustration, he left his camping waterhole and ran around, trying to get a good hit on the ender dragon as his armor threatened to shatter at the slightest touch. The banging on his door ceased just as he nocked his final arrow, the dragon diving straight toward him, and it burst open. In his peripheral vision Dream could see a half-transformed George (which didn’t even make sense since it was daytime) lunge toward him, teeth bared, and as his arrow let go and the dragon was struck he kicked back his chair to intercept his friend, causing the chair and George to both tumble to the ground as the creaking sounds of the dragon's demise echoed in his ears. His avatar rushing toward the center where the speedrun would be complete, he had just a millisecond to touch the black portal that would end everything, and as George rose and lunged for him again, claws out to kill—

The world shattered.

Like a ripple in a pond, the computer's screen cracked, and George froze in place, unable to move. Howls of terror left his mouth, only to be seen and unable to be heard thanks to Dream's headphones, which soon dissolved from his face. The ground shook and then everything collapsed around him, bits and pieces exploding into a thunderstorm of nothingness as Dream lost his footing and fell into an endless void of space. He flailed his arms around wildly, trying to get a grasp of his surroundings, before he found himself hitting a hard invisible surface.

Pain temporarily shot up through his back, but he forced himself to get up anyway. Glancing above, he could see bits and pieces of the alternate reality he had been living in float down toward where he was. The rest of this limbo-like space was devoid of anything else to give him more bearing. Feeling around him, he noted he was surrounded on three sides by invisible walls save for the corridor in front of him.

"Hello?" He called out, but he couldn't hear his own voice, and nothing responded to him. Stepping forward, he made his way through the invisible corridor. On both sides of the invisible walls, he could see the events of everything he had gone through play out as if it were a film—from the moment he woke up to Sapnap's call, to Bad making breakfast for him in the morning, to the blood sucking, George's kidnapping, Sapnap losing his mind, Finn, Techno, Wilbur—it had only been a couple of weeks, and yet it had felt like forever.

"DREAM!" A mangled voice, most likely belonging to Bad, echoed throughout the void, but Dream paid it no mind—it was the voice of the Bad from the alternate reality, the voice of the Bad that he didn't know, didn't care about. "Dream, help me, please..."

"You're not him," Dream shouted silently into the darkness. "I don’t know who you are!"

"Dream!" This time, it was Sapnap, and Dream clenched his fists in barely-restrained fury. "SHUT UP!"

He was done, he was just _done_ with everything. The only thing that was keeping him from being unhinged was that everything wasn't real, that there was an alternate reality and that he knew he could go back. Friends? Those weren't his friends. They were carbon copies with flipped personalities. He was sure that they were alright in the real world—or wherever he came from in the first place. And Techno— _Techno._

What did Techno say before all of this went down? The entire time, Dream's memories of Techno had been fuzzy from being in that world, but now that he broke out of the barrier, he could remember his rival as clear as day. 

_"What if that life turns on you? You gotta get out there." Technoblade replied to him. "At least, get some self-care. You look like a zombie."_

"Was this all Techno's doing?" Dream murmured to himself, despite not being able to hear the words coming out of his lips. It would make so much sense if it were, but at the same time, he doubted Techno would go such lengths to make him just go outside. He had been traumatized already from the very beginning of the whole thing.

As the film of his life in the alternate reality faded out, he realized he had left the corridor when his hands no longer felt walls on the sides of his body. What would he do once he got out of this space? Go to therapy? Continue acting as if nothing happened? How can he face his friends now, knowing what they had done? How can he see Techno without imagining him jumping through his window, or Wilbur without cat ears and a tail swishing side to side, or Finn with a green tea latte, blood splattered across his cheeks—

_Focus. You need to get out of this space first._

Evidently, by looking around Dream could already tell the exit wouldn't be in visible plain sight. He would have to keep looking—but for all he knew, he could be stuck in this space for ages before being let out. Where was he, anyway? Anxiety rose up in his stomach as he contemplated the possibilities. If he were stuck here forever, despite having escaped the fake reality, he would have no one to talk to, and he would lose his mind. Had he made the wrong choice? Was he even out in the first place? Was the fake reality a better option?

"Doubting yourself, are we?"

Dream's head shot up at the voice, unrecognizable behind a voice changer that was clear in the robotic way the words came out. "Who's there!?"

"The exit," the voice replied, though its tone was mocking. "So desperate to escape, and now that you're this close you're wondering if it was all really worth it. Do you _wish_ for that alternate reality to be real, Dream?"

"No!" Dream yelled immediately. "No! No! Hell no! I'm done and I'm sick of everything!"

"So you want to leave." The mocking tone changed to one of seriousness in a flash. "Do you even know where you are, Dream?"

"Are you talking about this space? Because if so, then no I don't..." Dream waved his arms around at the empty void.

"Welcome to the limbo between worlds!" The voice laughed in grandeur, and Dream's eyes widened. "Think of it as a visual representation of your subconscious. Within this space, anything is possible—traveling to alternate realities, escaping your old self...it's amazing!"

Around him, the void began to crack, white shining through the pitch black darkness. Dream suddenly recalled what Snap had said to him earlier at his first appearance. "Wait—is _everyone's_ subconscious like this?"

"That's right!" The voice cackled. "And just like how this space is falling apart, they've lost their battle against their thoughts and succumbed to their mind break."

"Mind break," Dream whispered. "Is my mind breaking as well!?"

"Precisely. After all, this isn't your physical body in here—it's actually the last of your rationality." The voice's anonymity was slowly fading out, and Dream tried to get a grasp on all the sudden changes, trying to determine who he was talking to. "Right here, right now, is your last chance to save yourself. Want to get back to your own world safe and sound? I can give that to you—but only if you defeat _me_ first."

"Defeat _you?!_ " Dream hesitated, frowning. "Why do we need to fight?"

"I have the ability to travel between people's subconsciousnesses, after all." The voice was becoming less crackled, and more clear. In the distance, Dream could see a figure materializing in front of him. "You've heard from Snap, didn't you? That people get bored easily. And I thought—wouldn't it be more fun to toy around with people a bit?"

"So all of this is just to please your stupid game? Are you fucking _sick_!?" Dream was livid at the notion.

"Hey! I only bolstered the emotions of your friends a little bit. They all _really_ did like you, you know. All I did was make them reach their mind break, and YOU created that alternate reality for me. I have to thank Techno for helping me push your emotions to make such a different reality. But that's beside the point. Make a choice, Dream—fight me, or go back and never return from that mind break you're so close to reaching." The figure fully materialized, voice changer gone, and Dream had to step back to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. A guitar played in the distance, and everything clicked.

 _Beware of the color yellow._ Why hadn't he seen it sooner?

"Techno's involved in this too?" Dream laughed at the ridiculousness of it all before clenching his fists. "I should've known. So all of this is a dream, right? This means I won't have any problems with killing you, right?" Around him, the void cracked a little bit more, and Dream grinned. "Mind break this, mind break that? I don't care anymore! I'm leaving—and you're in my way."

"If this void cracks, you'll lose," the figure said, no longer smiling in contempt.

"I know, I know!" Dream waved his arms around before readying himself into a fighting stance—he wasn't the most adept at a physical fight, but he had played sports in his childhood, and could probably pack a punch if he needed to. "It doesn't matter. Time limit or not, I'm going to leave. You've been acting confident all this time, but that's not true, is it...Wilbur?"

Wilbur seethed. "You know NOTHING about me!"

"Ha! I'm about to prove you wrong. You've made a mistake," Dream laughed, the cracks in the void spreading even further. "Enough chitchat. Come at me! I'll take you on!"

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments appreciated as always!


End file.
